Ivan Sanjuan
Photographer
Tell us a bit about yourself:
My name is Ivan Sanjuan, I take photos seriously since 2005. At the moment i live in Cadiz, south of Spain.
What do you make?
I mostly take photos. Right now, I'm in a period that I have time enough to do what i want, and what I like most is taking pictures.
Where else on the web can we find you?
What did you dream about last night?
If I dreamed something, I forget it. I usually don´t dream or I can´t remember it, and when I do, are pretty rare things, mixing a lot of different people in very strange situations.
What inspires you?
Inspiration is unpredictable. Until the time in question i really don´t know where it will be coming. Friends or strangers, travel, music, internet, or any everyday situation. Photographers whose work I admire are Nan Goldin or William Eggleston, to name some of them, but they really would be references for me, but not direct influences, my work has nothing like that of them. Anyway I am in visual contact with the work of many emerging photographers that I discover every day, and that somehow it influence me.
Where do you live and what do you like about it?
I currently live in Algeciras, a small town in southern Spain. where many people are only incidentally, by its geographical location. Frankly there are few things I like here. So this year I hope to get around the capital to work there for a while. A good thing is that there is a high quality photo collective, even with little support from the council, survives and gives a photo quality offer nationwide. I really enjoy it, and I would miss it.
What is your biggest fear?
I don´t think too much about it, but maybe be a solitude standing.
Name a few of your favorite movies \ books \ websites \ bands:
I haven´t favorite movies, because I really have very bad memory, but the last I saw was The Public Eye, from director Howard Franklin, and then I wanted to go out and start flashing with my camera to all people.
Books, feel the same way. Now i´m reading "El Acto Fotográfico" por Philippe Dubois.
Webs: every day I´m discovering interesting websites. To name a few, Fjord and Urbanautica as directories of artists, and the homepage of Yann Gross for his incredible work.
Bands: music is therapy for me, and also a source of inspiration. I love Luomo (with his three alter egos), Radiohead, Lusine, Sigur Ros, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Piano Magic, Bjork, Eels, Erykah Badu, Missy Elliot, ...
What are you really good at? What are you really bad at:
Maybe that should tell others .. I don´t know really what to say. I think I am responsible ... that's good. But I can answer with more certainty to the other question, what am I bad? I do not get anywhere on time and I forget everything.
What is your favourite thing to eat?
All, I love to eat and i´m open to almost anything. But the pasta ... mmm!
How would you like to be remembered?
Simply be remembered, and I would like my work in that sense, also transcended.
What is the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you?
I can´t remember it, but obviously I have had.
Anything else you would like to say:
Photography is my way of portraying (and remember) my everyday moments. My work is autobiographical in that sense. I love the power of an image with just a glance is capable of transporting me to a very specific moment or situation. I Could look one of my photos like in twenty years and to know what was happening in my head at that moment ..