Tuesday, July 01, 2008
A quirk of fate
An iced coffee is stirred, some milk is added, and photographer John McDermott and I settle in his soon to be opened, rather cold gallery. The cream paint smells new. Angkor photographs not yet hung look incongruously wintry, the Siem Reap dust awaits a wipe. He bites his straw and begins.
John McDermott was a one-time Mountain View, Arkansas arts-and-crafts store co-owner—where he played the guitar on the porch and sang folk tunes—and a second-time Hollywood movie lighting technician on futuristic blockbusters with big budgets and bad acting. He is however, an all-the-time photographer—his portfolio eclectic: catalogues of knickers and jewels, inside a nuclear reactor, the plains of Myanmar, and Mona Lisa-esque smiles of the Bayon temple.
"The film, like the eclipse gives the temples a monochromatic and surreal look. Some are photographs of ghostly, bright light through doorways and windows. I suppose you could say this is my signature style," he says.
John McDermott was a one-time Mountain View, Arkansas arts-and-crafts store co-owner—where he played the guitar on the porch and sang folk tunes—and a second-time Hollywood movie lighting technician on futuristic blockbusters with big budgets and bad acting. He is however, an all-the-time photographer—his portfolio eclectic: catalogues of knickers and jewels, inside a nuclear reactor, the plains of Myanmar, and Mona Lisa-esque smiles of the Bayon temple.He proceeds to provide a chronological overview of his existence on this planet since his Little Rock birth in 1955, where Mr. Clinton himself first made an appearance. He blames his frequent vagueness on time—his twenties the beginning of memory decline. What immediately colors this timeline, "and this is a little embarrassing", is the inspiration of a once American beauty queen and a move to California. "Yes, we packed a U-haul and moved to Beverly Hills. It’s a little bit Hillbilly I know," he says.
"Little Rock was just not big enough to support a lot of photographers’ work … In 1989 I met this girl and we fell madly in love.
"She wanted to do acting and was going to move to L.A. At that point in time I’d had enough of Little Rock. Twenty or so years later, and I’m really glad I left. I have opened up my eyes to the rest of the world."
"She wanted to do acting and was going to move to L.A. At that point in time I’d had enough of Little Rock. Twenty or so years later, and I’m really glad I left. I have opened up my eyes to the rest of the world."
So to Hollywood: movies and lighting and then some camera work. What lured John to the East (wondering how in his early thirties he could compete with the "youth" of Tinsel town) was the offer of photographic work on a Bangkok business magazine.
A plane ticket came in the post and he flew to this part of the world where he now lives with his wife and a kitten at the edge of the jungle.
A plane ticket came in the post and he flew to this part of the world where he now lives with his wife and a kitten at the edge of the jungle.
He has provided the photographs for a book called, The Extraordinary Museums of Southeast Asia. For the book he "shot pictures" in Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia. "In 28 days I took photographs of these museums, but it had already taken months of getting permission from the authorities. I had to contend with real bureaucracy in Laos," he admits.
But what seem to take pride of place in his extensive repertoire, are photographs of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. "I explored the temples of Bagan in Myanmar and Luang Prabang in Laos.
But what seem to take pride of place in his extensive repertoire, are photographs of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. "I explored the temples of Bagan in Myanmar and Luang Prabang in Laos.
I mean these places are like an alien planet, right here, on this planet."
It is the photographs taken in Cambodia that he is famous for. They are the images of Angkor Wat taken with infrared film—the prints now waiting to go up on the walls. Using the infrared film was inspired by a complete solar eclipse over the temples in 1995. "It was a moment of complete awakening."
It is the photographs taken in Cambodia that he is famous for. They are the images of Angkor Wat taken with infrared film—the prints now waiting to go up on the walls. Using the infrared film was inspired by a complete solar eclipse over the temples in 1995. "It was a moment of complete awakening."
On his website he explains the technicalities. "Infrared film has a much broader range of sensitivity to light than standard films, and records light waves that fall below the visible spectrum for the human eye. A filter is placed on the camera to allow only the infrared wavelengths to pass
through … [The images produced are] dreamy, impressionistic … like etchings or charcoal drawings from another era."
through … [The images produced are] dreamy, impressionistic … like etchings or charcoal drawings from another era."
"The film, like the eclipse gives the temples a monochromatic and surreal look. Some are photographs of ghostly, bright light through doorways and windows. I suppose you could say this is my signature style," he says.In walks the owner of the gallery next door. There is some hearty chat. Along with other artists—like this friend next door—John says he wants to help further Siem Reap’s reputation as an arts centre in Cambodia. "There is real potential for this to happen here. I think this community has a definite artistic vision. I mean, we can not only create art here, we can sell it."
So the timeline of John McDermott continues. He terms his beauty queen and the solar eclipse "quirks of fate". I wonder what the next quirk will be? A meteor? A lightning bolt? He’s not done here yet.
Labels: Khmer Sources
# posted by FunMan @ 8:05 PM 
