Elliott Hundley: Evoking Emotions | ART21 "Exclusive"

[Elliott Hundley: Evoking Emotions]

I'm staging imaginary operas.

One of the things I find appealing about opera
is it's kind of a ludicrous proposition.

[LAUGHS]

It's a convention that we all read as normal,
but it's a funny convention.

I like how artificial it is.

But being so artificial, it definitely strives
to evoke strong emotions.

The music is the vehicle for the intensity
of the emotion,

and that's the priority, I think.

That's definitely my goal--

creating some sort of emotional response from
the work that I make. Absolutely.

During the day, I spend my time collecting
all of this stuff.

And that I can do with help.

It's easier to work when I'm by myself,

when it’s quiet.

And there's also no time limit, you know,
when you work in the evening.

Collage has been one of the most relevant
forms of art making.

I think it's resonant because it is made of
the stuff that we see every day.

So it's familiar. It reflects our reality.

And it's self-evident.

There's no esoteric technique to make a collage.

Because some of my subjects or the things
that I'm trying to make

are maybe trying to get at something mysterious
or something unknown

or something emotional,

I think what's appealing to me about collage
is the fact that it's so straightforward--

that it's a good foil to my subject.

I use stories to get the picture started,
or to find components,

or to locate a compelling narrative--

or a compelling situation. Maybe that's even
a better word.

Or a compelling psychology.

And I'm interested in staging--

you know, all the tricks of creating the scene.

I don't know for what high school musical
this backdrop could've possibly been made.

It's called "Sci-Fi Office".

I got this backdrop just for the photo shoot;

I rented it.

--[HUNDLEY, OFF CAMERA] It looks good...

--Three, two, one...

[SOUND OF CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKING AND FLASH
FIRING]

[SOUND OF CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKING AND FLASH
FIRING]

--Perfect.

I like to include images of the people in
my life.

All my friends know this about me, that I
spend a lot of my energy asking their opinions.

What's important to me about including my
friends and family is that it raises the stakes;

that they’re not just images.

It's not just color.

It's not just a model.

But it's people with identities.

I think that if someone encountered my work,
they would not necessarily know

that the model in my photograph or painting
was someone important to me.

But I do think that it changes my attitude
towards the subject,

and I think that ultimately that's what changes
the picture.