I Fought the Law
Page 2
ES Tell me what it’s like being a young photographer in New York City in 2016.
OL Sometimes I feel as though I do living in New York all wrong! I’m such a homebody and often don’t take advantage of all the city has to offer. I’m not one who tends to aimlessly wander, so everything I engage in becomes highly planned out. I’m a true creature of habit; I find little rituals and allow them to be a recurring part of my day to day. For example, I’ve been practicing Transcendental Meditation since 2013 and meditate twice a day, every day, for twenty-minute sessions. I’m one of those people who enjoys following my own itinerary. On the bright side, this permits my mind to be constantly engaged and focused on my practice. I set up my studio inside my Midtown apartment, allowing me to be on the clock 24/7. Surprisingly, my studio is my favorite place to be in Manhattan; everything I desire or need is right there. I have a lot of studio visits and love to cook dinner for my friends. I tend to appreciate life’s more mundane activities; I really enjoy going to the grocery store.
ES Can you explain to me what your practice looks like?
OL When it comes time to make photographs, my practice is extremely bare bones and simple. I personally do all the styling and my brother Brandon serves as my assistant. I photograph friends or individuals who have qualities that I find familiar and attractive. I enjoy working with everyday people because non-professional models reveal more and offer a unique experience. All of my photographs are highly premeditated, permitting my subjects the opportunity to simply step into the frame. I don’t want to paint the picture that I do nothing but work, although that’s sort of truthful. Life and art become so intertwined. Something I find beautiful about New York City is everything happens eventually. Any artist whose work I have a desire to experience will likely exhibit with very little wait due to exceptional curation in galleries and institutions. I spend very much time looking at art, going to the cinema, and attending musical performances.
ES Can you explain the process behind creating the images for I Fought the Law?
OL Some of these images were shot under highly unusual circumstances, often because of the unique concepts. On a few occasions I was forced to create an on-the-go studio. As a result, some of the images ended up having a large uninvited audience. The Alabama photograph was a good example of this. I needed a pristine ice-cream cone to document its process of melting. I couldn’t bring one back to my studio because it would have already melted in transit. I went to the local ice-cream stand in Johnstown armed with a backdrop, my mother and brother as assistants, and one of my close friends, Jackie, to model. I’m super crazy about the small details of my photographs, so I begged the girl working to make my cone with an American flag wrapper that I sourced and brought along. With our close-to-perfect ice-cream cone, my mother and brother held up the backdrop and I waited for it to look just messy enough in Jackie’s back pocket. The customers of the ice-cream stand were very confused and became pretty vocal: “Miss, did you sit on your cone?” etc. After about twenty photos we knew we had it and treated ourselves to fresh cones. Unique scenarios like this made the production of some of these images really exciting.
Another interesting one to shoot was the New Mexico image. I borrowed many rocks from an abandoned gas station’s parking lot, then painted each one to eventually form a gradient. When it came time to carry them to “my studio,” a room on my mother’s home’s second floor, I didn’t realize how physical the process would be! I could carry only about three rocks at a time, so I took many trips up and down the steps. When the shooting was completed I returned the painted rocks to the gas station. They stuck out like a sore thumb!
All of my shoots in Pennsylvania were uniquely interesting, but the majority of the photographs were shot at my studio in New York. My process in the city was mostly based around sourcing the correct props and faces to fit each scenario. Once I had all of the moving pieces gathered, it was very satisfying to watch each photograph come to life.
In ALABAMA it is illegal to have an ice cream cone in your back pocket at all times.
In ALASKA it is illegal for an intoxicated person to be in an establishment that serves alcohol.
In ARIZONA you may not have more than two dildos in a house.
In ARKANSAS it is illegal to kill or preserve any living creature.
In CALIFORNIA nobody is allowed to ride a bicycle in a swimming pool.
In COLORADO it is illegal to have weeds in your yard.
In CONNECTICUT pickles must bounce to officially be considered pickles.
In DELAWARE it is illegal to consume perfume.
In FLORIDA a person may not appear in public clothed in liquid latex.
In GEORGIA picnics are prohibited in graveyards.
In HAWAII it is illegal to place a coin in your ear.
In IDAHO it is illegal to be nude outdoors, even on private properties.
In ILLINOIS a hatpin is considered a concealed weapon.
In INDIANA it is illegal for a man to be sexually aroused in public.
In IOWA it is illegal to sniff glue.
In KANSAS it is illegal to serve wine in teacups.
In KENTUCKY it is illegal to lick a toad.
In LOUISIANA it is illegal to gargle in public.
In MAINE it is illegal to mail prescription drugs unless you’re a licensed pharmacist.
In MARYLAND hammering a nail into a tree is punishable by a fifty-dollar fine.
In MASSACHUSETTS photographing up-skirt photos can be considered a crime.
In MICHIGAN it is illegal to paint sparrows with the intention of selling them as parakeets.
In MINNESOTA it is illegal for a person to cross state lines with a bird atop their head.
In MISSISSIPPI Sesame Street was banned from television in 1970.
In MISSOURI it is illegal to deface a milk carton.
In MONTANA there is a ban on low-riding trousers.
In NEBRASKA it is illegal for parents to perm their child’s hair without a state license.
In NEVADA it is illegal to put an American flag on a bar of soap.
In NEW HAMPSHIRE you can’t tap your foot to keep time to music.
In NEW JERSEY a person can be arrested for slurping soup in public.
In NEW MEXICO defacing rocks is a crime.
In NEW YORK students eighteen years and older can be arrested for cheating on exams.
In NORTH CAROLINA it is a misdemeanor to urinate on someone else’s property.
In NORTH DAKOTA it is illegal to fall asleep with shoes on in bed.
In OHIO it is illegal to disrobe in front of a portrait of a man.
In OKLAHOMA it is illegal to put a hypnotized person on display.
In OREGON people may not test their physical endurance while driving a car on a highway.
In PENNSYLVANIA it is illegal to tie a dollar bill to a string and pull it away when someone tries to pick it up.
In RHODE ISLAND it is illegal to wear transparent clothing.
In SOUTH CAROLINA it is illegal to go fishing with dynamite.
In SOUTH DAKOTA it is unlawful to cause static.
In TENNESSEE hollow logs may not be sold.
In TEXAS it is illegal for children to have unusual haircuts.
In UTAH no one may walk down the street carrying a paper bag containing a violin.
In VERMONT it is illegal to use colored margarine in restaurants unless the menu indicates you do.
In VIRGINIA spitting on a sea gull is punishable by a fine.
In WASHINGTON it is illegal to paint polka dots on the American flag.
In WEST VIRGINIA swearing can be punishable by a fine.
In WISCONSIN it is illegal to serve apple pie in public restaurants without cheddar cheese.
In WYOMING it is illegal for a hairdresser to groom a customer’s pubic hair.
Acknowledgments
Thank you!
The Andy Warhol Museum, Olivia Bee, Christopher Bell, Marc Joseph Berg, Blake Burkholder, Jessica Cra
ig-Martin, the David Lynch Foundation, Iris Davis, Kate Davis, Allie Edwards, Matthew Foley, Stephen Frailey, Clare Gillies, Kenneth Goldsmith, Kasey Helmick, Madi Hrin, Marc Jacobs, Zoe Johnson, Steven Kasher, Eleanor Kriseman, Danny Lane, Look3, Gina Martin, Nion McEvoy, Jennifer Medina, Felipe Mendes, Ana Mendez-Villamil, Hamilton Morris, Erika Mugglin, Josie Niovich, Andrew Owen, Derek Peel, Andi Potamkin Blackmore, Derek Reighard, Taylor Roy, Kathy Ryan, Marcel Saba, the School of Visual Arts, Olivia Seally, Sara Sevier Anderson, Eric Shiner, Alex Silva, Steven Kasher Gallery, Billy Sullivan, Miwa Susuda, Emma Swanson, Britt Tapsall, Scott Thode, Jackie Thornton, Jesse Turits, Sam Valenti IV, Bridget Watson Payne, Matthew Werth, Erin Weyant, Lilly Whorl, Ian Williams, and my wonderful family, William Locher Jr., Marianne Locher, and Brandon Locher
About the Authors
OLIVIA LOCHER is known for her sarcastic approach to studio photography with a heavy focus on color and concept. She exhibits her work in galleries and also enjoys working on commission. Her clients include the New York Times Magazine and W magazine, among others. Locher’s photographs are grounded in dreamlands and consciousness, while she herself is generally dreaming. Originally from Johnstown, Pennsylvania, she now resides in New York City.
KENNETH GOLDSMITH is a poet living in New York City. He was the first poet laureate of the Museum of Modern Art, is the author of several books, and teaches “uncreative writing” at the University of Pennsylvania. He is the founding editor of UbuWeb, the definitive source for all things avant-garde on the Internet.
ERIC SHINER is the senior vice president at Sotheby’s fine art division. Previously he served as director of the Andy Warhol Museum, where he organized numerous exhibitions of Warhol’s and other artists’ work. Shiner also curated an exhibition for the 2013 Armory Show. He lives in New York City.