Photographer Nicholas Gascoine spent his mid 20's in New York City. There, he would work alongside some of the most prominent fashion photographers, often flying to exotic locations. The move back to Australia had followed an exciting period of work, and Gascoine found the body of water lapping onto Sydney's Eastern beach fronts restorative.
Re-establishing himself back in the sunny country, Nick has embarked upon a new project in a move to take photography away from the private sphere of one’s screen. The NYRM Pictures project collages photographic and illustrative works on street poles and walls throughout Sydney. In collaboration with a range of photographers and artists from around the world, including myself, Nick is helping to bring art to the streets in some of Sydney’s most well known neighbourhoods.
TOP: Firstly, I’m interested to know about your experience moving from New York City to Sydney. Can you tell me how working as a photographer/art director/artist differs in these two parts of the world?
NG: Creatively you miss the hyperactivity- feeding off others energy, using that to propel you. Moving back to Sydney i was bummed out for a minute - creatively, culturally - still living digitally in NYC but unable to interact with it. I feel that’s why i went to such an extreme using physical materials to create works that were unique and uninhibited by an end goal or marketplace. I wanted it to be for me.
It's not limited to Sydney, but a lot of what I've experienced is creative teams developing a homogenised version of international works they enjoy and executing the reference image as if it is gospel. So many moments die at the hands of a group of people standing around the computer screen, critiquing the work as it comes in. The photographer holds more power in New York still.
TOP: Nick, why did you begin the NYRM Pictures project?
NG: To explore more technique surrounding the tangibility and value of a photograph as an object. In my early works i was limited by scale because i couldn’t digitise anything over A4. But I also wanted to included others works in the process. I found the technique development to be a solace experience and I thought incorporating others works together could build a scene to which we could all creatively feed from.
TOP: Do you think that people perceive, or interact differently, with a photographic image when it is printed compared to when it is viewed on a screen?
NG: Yes i do, it’s actually quite enjoyable watching someone's reaction when you hand them a copy of it, looks of memories come flooding in.
Free from ads and text, it’s a unique viewing experience in today’s age. Plus the physicality of it means it will resurface time and time again - In the back of a car for instance or on the studio coffee table.
TOP: How do you see this project evolving as it further develops?
NG: For others to contribute beyond the supply of imagery. To take hold of their works in a physical form and distribute it.
Thank you to all those who have contributed works so far. www.nahyouritemate.pictures for more.
Images above courtesy of Nick.
