Todd Fisher

Todd Fisher delights in photographing the idiosyncratic, urban everyfreak in a solo show, “The Meaning of Life, Pt. 1."

Chief: Is this your first solo show?

Todd Fisher: Yes. I've had work in some group shows here and there. The most recent was at Silverstein Photography in June, for the Vice photo show. A framed print of mine was stolen off the wall there. Before that I had some work in a show in Lima, Peru, called “Different Ways of Looking At Landscapes” that was curated by Juliana Mundim.

Do you carry a camera with you most of the time? Or are there certain places or events that you seek out to photograph?

I do go to events and places specifically with the intention to photograph, but have a little point and shoot camera with me most of the time as well.

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Your work seems to reconcile the art of the "snapshot" versus "photography"-- do you take a stance on either one?

No, I really don't. I do appreciate the quotation marks. My interest in photography is very broad. This work is snapshot style partly because it is done with a point and shoot camera and partly because composition often has to be a secondary consideration in many of the situations. Many of these shots could not exist any other way. A 4x5 camera would not work. I’m not exactly a stranger to SRLs, rangefinders and tripods. They just aren't part of this work.

Who are some photographers that you admire, and how do they inspire your work?

Larry Clark, William Eggleston, Helen Levitt, Jeff Mermelstein... the list goes on and on. Inspiration, for me, comes from all types of photographers. When I am moved by a picture, that’s what matters. I’m sure it’s possible for me to be inspired by an accidental shot taken by a little kid. If it is a great picture I really don't care much, how or why it was made. One of my favorite books is Ray's a Laugh by Richard Billingham. He didn't even consider himself a photographer and I’m not sure if he ever produced any work after that book, but I consider it great work. My work may be very different from all the above-mentioned photographers, but when I see work that brilliant, it makes me want to keep shooting.

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What was your childhood like?

Pretty normal, I guess. I was into skating and hanging out. It was kind of boring where I grew up—the outskirts of Baltimore County. We had to be creative to have fun, which often led to trouble.

What's in store for the second installment of "The Meaning of Life"?

Part 2 and maybe 3 reside in my current archives and I guess that grows every day. Most of the photos in Part 1 were from a series of handmade books I did. I have a few new book projects I want to start working on and we'll see what comes from that.

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Do go on.

There is a Swedish publisher called Cederteg. They are doing a limited edition zine of black and white photography called the Guttural Journal. I will have some work in there, that's never been shown before. It's very different than the MOL stuff. I plan to do a book of diptychs and a few small accordion books of series.



Check out Todd Fisher’s solo exhibition at
Live with Animals
210 Kent Ave.
Brooklyn, NY

On display from November 11 to December 10
Fridays 4-9pm, Saturdays and Sundays 3-8pm

Closing party: December 10th, 4-7pm

Website

www.pbase.com/toddf

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