Emily Morgan’s experience started when she graduated from University in 2018. She has been working towards her aspirations of becoming a fashion photographer by building up a portfolio and networking with magazines and designers. With this network, Grace has been able to create editorials for magazines such as Flanelle Magazine, Dreamingless Magazine, The Unedit Magazine, FrenchFries Magazine, Pap-Magazine and Vogue Italia, along with working as a freelance photographer during London Fashion Week with Noctis Magazine, Hunger Magazine and OneG Magazine. Furthermore, her Polaroid work includes taking part in WRPD magazine’s Unlockdown project with her mini-series ‘I Think I Will Stand In’ along with being commissioned by Coverless Co. to produce work for their limited edition zine ‘Last Call. A Weekend to Forget.’ Morgan is passionate about working with her Land camera 330 to create Polaroid’s that evoke emotions and engage with audiences.
Morgan’s current project explores the themes and complex emotions that one would suffer when living and managing anxiety. Due to the effects of the Pandemic over the last year, looking after our mental health is more important than ever. Shot on a polaroid land camera 330 and using peel-apart film, the imagery you see is purposefully constructed to appear out of focus and underexposed to give the illusion of what one may experience when fighting with consuming thoughts that stem from dark corners of the fragile mind. The colours are used as an elegant disguise in order to ‘put a face on’ and parade from one place to another without knowing what the fragile mind holds; a combination of which the avant-garde and intense colour pallet, contradicts these consuming thoughts.
Self-taught or art school?
To start with, I think I was very much self-taught. I think wherever artists start their journey as a photographer, we are all self-taught in a way and it is a personal process throughout your life, you must learn how to train your eye to see beyond the frame, to really engage with people and their stories, to continue your artistry when times get hard, to see with your mind. All these are contributing traits that as artists, we will always be learning about ourselves it comes from within, so in that respect, I think we are all self-taught.
Personally, I went through school thinking I wanted a career as an actor/performer on the West End. I dedicated a lot of time in school taking part in musicals, plays, etc. and photography was not a thought process at all. This was until I turned 15/16 when my uncle gave me his old camera where a light bulb just went off inside of me and ever since that moment, I was just really intrigued in figuring out how to use the camera, what button did what etc. It was purely by luck that I fell into photography, let alone aspire to be a fashion photographer. I did go to University to study photography when I was eighteen, and for the most part, it did give me some great tools to develop my craft. One of the most important tools my University gave me was how to explore narratives and stories, which in turn, fed into my love and passion for fashion/portraiture.
I am a very enthusiastic and inquisitive person, always wanting to explore more and push myself within photography, so on my days off from University, I was out learning how to conduct and piece together my own shoots, how to get in contact with modelling agencies and designers etc. and even how to construct an effective email. This process was all trial and error, and admittedly, still is. I will never stop learning and wanting to learn about photography and the art world, it is forever changing but that is what makes the creative industry so special.
I am a firm believer that there is no right or wrong way to navigate through the creative industry, whether you go down the art school route, or you are a self-taught artist. It is all about the individuality of the artist and their work that will shine through every time.
If you could own one work of art what would it be?
Oh my god, this is such a hard question, wow! I am not sure I could own just one, there would be a few I must admit, and this would not be limited to the artwork. I think if I won the lottery, I would start collecting first editions books and original collections of different artworks, from authors such as Beatrix Potter and Roald Dahl to the original Birkin Bags and vintage one-off pieces from designers and not forgetting limited edition records. I would then have space dedicated to these artworks all beautifully displayed and curated, with the records playing out loud.
But if I did have to choose just one, I would love to own an image from Francesca Woodmans ‘I’m Trying My Hand at Fashion Photography’ series. Woodman is a massive inspiration of mine. What I admire most about Woodman’s work, is her maturity within her complex motifs. You can feel her mind in each of these images. The images are both genii yet bittersweet. You sense the intense desperation unravelling to audiences about her identity as a ‘fashion photographer’ all whilst exploring the subject of the female form, expressing odes to Dorothea Tanning, (in particular her ‘Children’s Games’ paintings) and to Greek methodologies, all of which is something very few photographers were creating at the time, let alone female photographers. The amount of work she created in her short life and to create such powerful imagery at such a young age is mesmerising.
How would you describe your style?
There are many words that I would describe my style, for example, with my digital work I would say it is elegant, feminine, classic, especially in terms of postproduction. I hate it when photographers heavily retouch models’ skin because I think it takes away from their natural beauty and rawness. Now, I have taken more of an experimental approach to my digital work. I am experimenting with slow shutter speeds within my editorials to create a similar look to my polaroid work and I am also exploring shooting through various textiles as part of this experimentation.
In terms of my polaroid work, in particular, ‘Paper Faces on Parade’. I would say when you first look at the work without knowing what the concept is about, it is overly dramatic and theatrical. I adore working with designers that create avant-garde garments as they capture that sense of theatre beautifully. However, behind the theatricality of the work, there is a sense of fragility and vulnerability. If you take a closer look, you cannot make out the person in the frame, they either have their hands up hiding or they are looking past the camera in a melancholic way. You see the avant-garde garments are used as a mask to disguise hidden feelings and to some audiences, it may be over baring to look at, especially with the use of double exposures. All of which have been created with that intention in mind, to make audiences step back and look at the body of work, to be consumed by the colourful chaos and to hopefully, see that there is more to the images than first meets the eye.
Of course, not everyone feels and views the work in that way. I once had a photographer tell me that I could not focus on a camera properly, amongst other things. At the time it hurt to hear because it was ruthless. However, looking back, I am pleased they said that because I have learned so much from that moment and it also meant that they were reacting to a piece of work I had created. Granted not the reaction I was going for, but it was a reaction nonetheless and as an artist, you want people to react to your work, negatively or positively. The purpose of my work is to provoke these types of reactions and encourage my audience to engage with my work.
Personally, I would much rather audiences tell me that they dislike my work rather than going away saying its ‘nice’ because that is an awful word to describe a piece of work; For me, ‘nice’ is a bland word used to describe a Sunday lunch, and who wants their work to be a Sunday lunch?! Art is meant to challenge, art is meant to evoke feelings, emotions, and discussions, it is a way for people to communicate their thoughts and to tell stories in a way that makes sense to the artist and allowing the audiences to see into their worlds.
Can you tell us about your artistic process?
My creative process is quite slow as I like to take my time, especially working on my personal projects. I usually start by researching the designer and garments I would like to work with. I briefly mentioned working with avant-garde garments, but they are a very crucial part of my work and my process. I split my time between my studio and working in London, and on days I am unable to get to London, I shoot in my studio. I am truly fortunate that designers can send their garments to me. I am unable to see them in person most of the time, so it is important that I really take the time to study them and get to know the garments. The garments themselves need to speak and stand out to me and then I bounce off the garment’s personality in a way.
I then start to draw them in my sketchbook and include as much detail as possible. The drawings themselves are not great, but it is my way of visualising them before they arrive. When I shoot in my studio, I do not use a stylist or creative director, so I need to be prepared when they arrive in how to handle the garments. How to place them on my rails safely and to be on hand to help the model with the garments if needed. After I have drawn the garments, I usually put together a storyboard/mood board. This is, again, hand-drawn because it needs to be done in a way that I can understand, that makes sense to me and something that is not off Pinterest or off a screen. I only have 10 frames in the polaroid pack and using a land camera can be hard to focus, so each frame needs to be choreographed to the mood board, to ensure I get it right.
I use digital and polaroid in a reverse way. Polaroids were originally used by photographers as test frames, they would take the frame to test the lighting, so it did not ruin the film that was already in the camera. Whereas I use my digital camera to test the lighting. The poses and movements of the models and then from that, I show the model the back of my camera and ask if we can recreate a certain pose/movement. It can be a slow process, especially as my land camera is old and can get stuck which has happened many times on shoots (thank goodness for tweezers!) and there is a lot of stopping and starting but it adds to the uniqueness of working with film.
Is narrative important within your work?
I think this depends on the project I am working on. Test shoots, for example, are really refreshing because the shoot is about the model and yourself in a location/studio environment creating beautiful portraits together and that is amazing. I think we overlook this a lot as photographers; at University we are taught about creating narratives and how we should be using narratives within our work, and yes, it is important to some projects, but I believe there is nothing wrong with creating a shoot or body of work just because you want to or that you are simply feeling inspired one day. There is something wonderful about that form of simplicity.
Again, for my personal work, there is more of a story than a narrative being told. I think this form of expression started when I was creating self-portraiture during my first year of University. It was a way to practise with narratives, positions, and lighting because, at the time, I was scared to ask people to stand in front of the lens so, in that sense, a lot of my earlier works were heavily narrative-driven. Whereas now, there is a lot more planning to make sure the story is told correctly. I use models to tell my story, it is like a self-portrait without being in the frame myself, each double exposure or soft-focus image has reasoning and purpose behind it, there is a beginning middle and end, there is just not a direct ending.
Who are your favourite artists and why?
I touched upon Francesca Woodman as she is one of my favourite artists but honestly, I have many favourite artists. Guy Bourdin, Deborah Turbeville and Sarah Moon are amongst my favourite artists. All these artists changed the way we look at fashion photography and changed the way I view fashion and photography. It may seem strange that I would put Guy Bourdin and Deborah Turbeville in the same sentence, especially as Turbeville was against the work of Guy Bourdin and Helmut Newton, but Bourdin did change fashion photography and without Bourdin’s campaigns with brands such as Charles Jourdan, the campaigns we are all used to seeing in the 21st century, would not be what they are. Bourdin created scenes and scenarios within his work that had not been done before.
I was lucky to see his work at Paris Photo Week in 2015 and displayed on one side of the Guy Bourdin estate booth, was an array of Bourdin’s Polaroids. They were in non-reflective glass so you could see the scratches on the Polaroids, the fingerprints and it was like you could feel his presence there. It was an incredible piece of artwork and I went back to the booth six times over the duration of Paris Photo. It was just so inspiring to see the Polaroids displayed in that way. I felt incredibly lucky to see the work. It was a moment that has just resonated with me and will do for a long time.
Another moment that has resonated with me, was when my University took us to Metro Imaging and we went down the stairs to see how the printers created the frames, imagery etc. and the work that has just come from the printers, was a black and white image from a campaign that not many people knew about, ‘Chanel ‘Premiere’ Ad Campaign’ the body of work was called and I remember just being in awe seeing it on the mounting table, it wasn’t like his traditional colourful works, it was almost the perfect combination of commercial and serialism. To be that close to an artist’s image that I have adored over the years will be a moment I will remember for a long time.
On the flip side to Guy Bourdin, Turbeville was a completely different artist but also changed the way we think about fashion photography. I am a believer that her experience as a fit model, shaped the way she worked as a photographer. I think that with her experience, she witnessed the hyper sexualisation of women first-hand and that she created her works to tell her truth about this, to convey a message on how women feel in an artist era that was heavily governed by men and the male gaze. This is why many consider her to be one of the greatest feminist photographers. It is not just Turbeville’s work that I adore, it is who she was as an artist and the way she thought. I have an interesting quote from Turbeville here in my sketchbook that reads “…it’s not really a feminist point, it’s just I don’t want to be there” and what I had taken from that quote, is that Turbeville contests what it means to be a feminist photographer; she wants to be a truth-teller. Expressing a form of self and honesty rather than challenging the realms of the male gaze and had me question what it means to be a ‘feminist photographer’. It is a matter of speaking her own truth and story, rather than speaking for everyone else and this is another reason why Turbeville is one of my favourite photographers. Turbeville’s work has multilayers of complexity that does not begin and end with ‘Fashion’, she challenges societal movements that have shaped artists and I think that is so powerful and relevant today.
What or who inspires your art?
As you can see from my previous answers, I am inspired by an array of photographers. I was told at one point that it is not great to be inspired by too many artists as it can cloud and even confuse your projects, but I do not agree with that. There is nothing wrong with allowing yourself to be inspired by what you see, hear, smell, taste, the way a book feels in your hands and many different forms of art. I think it is an amazing thing to be inspired by different forms of art because you have no idea where it will lead you and that is exciting. A lot of my inspiration comes from fashion designers, their sketchbooks, and illustrations, rather than photographers.
The designers that inspire me the most would have to be Alexander McQueen and Yves St Laurent. I think for many, Alexander McQueen is their favourite designer and I think it goes without saying as to why he is a big inspiration for me. I was lucky enough to see the ‘Savage Beauty’ exhibition at the V&A in 2015, and the exhibition just blew me away. I think seeing that exhibition was a turning point for many people within the creative industry, particularly when talking about mental health and the wellbeing of artists. There are no words to describe that exhibition and it is still to this day, one of the most incredible exhibitions I have ever been to. I was aware of McQueen growing up but seeing his life told through his garments during the exhibition, made me so emotional. It really opened my eyes to the idea that there was so much more to fashion and design. With the stories you can create, the fantasy and the creation of different worlds, I strongly believe that designers are some of the most creative artists across all disciplines. I went with my family at the time, and they had no idea who McQueen was, and they were blown away by the exhibition themselves. If an artist and exhibition can move the audiences who are unaware of the industry, then you know it was an incredible exhibition.
Yves St Laurent inspired my work in a completely different way. I came back from my first time at fashion week, and I was finishing up with some editing and suddenly my ears started to prick up whilst listening to a documentary about the designer Yves St Laurent. I had always been a fan of Yves St Laurent but watching the documentary was so intriguing. Whenever I look at a designer’s sketches and illustrations, I am always in owe because I think that the sketches are just as beautiful if not more beautiful than the final garments. They are full of ideas and thoughts of how to bring their creations to life, they are the crucial prologue before their story begins.
Their drawings are so detailed, intricate and work of art in their own right, but the thing that really inspired me and shocked me was that Yves St. Laurent, was not great at drawing. Yves St. Laurent’s business partner said he encouraged St. Laurent to go to drawing classes as he lacked definition to his illustrations but to me, I adored the illustrations because of the lack of definition. There is something very charming about his illustrations, it was like Yves St. Laurent was creating mind maps through his illustrations rather than a direct route of how he wanted the final garments to be. I loved the way the documentary was explaining to the audiences how when he was younger, he used to cut out models and dresses from magazines to create new designs, he called them his ‘Paper Dolls’. It was like from an early age he knew that he was not great at drawing, but it never stopped him from designing and being a powerhouse. It was this documentary and story that inspired me to really consider the way I drew my mood boards, the garments, and the inspiration behind the name of my project.
Where’s your studio and what’s it like?
Originally, I used spaces within my house such as the living room and my bedroom at one point. I love creating projects in a studio environment and I believe you can turn anywhere into a studio, especially if you work on location. In my suitcase that I bring with me to my shoots, you will always find a white sheet and tape. I always bring them with me to shoots for many reasons as you never know when you need them.
I am truly fortunate that I have a studio in my garden which is in a small country village. It is a lovely building, positioned under a big tree which comes to life in the summer. As my studio is wooden and has been painted black, it adds to the vibrancy of the leaves and as the tree is quite big, it hides the studio away. The light that comes into the studio is beautiful and is perfect for my shoots. You cannot beat natural lighting. It can of course be unpredictable but that can also be said when using lights and flash kits. I was not sure what my studio was going to be used for to start with if it was going to be a space just for shoots, but it is now a working studio where I am able to work freely and creatively.
Inside my studio, there is a big bookcase filled with all the books I have collected over the years, colourful seats for clients to sit on, illustrations, postcards of exhibitions I have been to, prints, all of which are displayed up on my walls, almost like a gallery space. The newest edition in my studio is the darkroom in the backroom of my studio. I have always dreamed of having a darkroom in my studio and the lockdown gave me that kick up the arse to finally make it happen as prior to the pandemic, I had constantly put it off. It was a slight gamble buying second-hand darkroom equipment off eBay but I struck gold with my DurstM605 enlarger (she is a beauty). It is a very rustic mind you, there is no running water, so I must fill up two watering cans from my house and bring them back to the studio. I must sit on the floor to tray print with a red safety light that is held together by tape. But you know what, it just adds to the fun of the printing process, there is nothing quite like tray printing, it is such a wonderful and personal process. If this method of printing was good enough for Cindy Sherman, then it is more than good enough for me.
Do you have any studio rituals?
I do not really have a studio ritual no. It is mostly the day before a shoot where I want the process to be done in a certain way. My studio backdrop and stands are always up to reduce the set-up time and I always make sure the floor is clean and swept. I do everything the night before as I get extremely nervous before shoots, so the mornings of the shoots really consist of making sure I am calm. I just love being organised with shoots, I always feel like the shoot will go well if everything is sorted the night before and that the Polaroid film will not get stuck in the rollers. My boyfriend brought me a stress ball (in the shape of a tomato) which I often use before shoots which helps massively and keeps my brain focused. You could say, in a way, that these are a form of studio/work ritual.
What are you working on currently?
I am currently working on a range of projects. I love having various ideas to work on and being able to pick up a project where I left off. I briefly mentioned my project ‘Paper Faces on Parade’. I am currently working on this and have been for the last two years. I am in the process of collaborating with some incredible designers for this project. I also have fashion editorial projects planned once lockdown ends and I am also pursuing a role as a curational assistant at a gallery. Which are all extremely exciting.
Where can we buy your art?
The gallery I am signed with have limited edition prints on their website: https://www.rna.gallery/paper- faces-limited-editions you can also come direct via my email with any enquires: emily96morgan@gmail.com
