ELEANORMACNAIR - THE PLAY-DOHOGRAPHER

THE PLAY-DOHOGRAPHER

HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE YOUR WORK?

Photographs rendered in play-doh.

WHAT DOES YOUR ART FOCUS ON?

I remake iconic alongside less well-known photographs in play-doh. One of the aims of the project is to lead people to discover new and potentially overlooked photography and photographers and show the diversity of photography over the past 150 years.

WHAT TRIGGERS YOUR IMAGINATION?

I stumble across images I want to recreate in books, exhibitions and online. I spend a lot of time digging around in the photography collections of museums on the internet. I lovefinding a photograph from say 80 years agowhich looks contemporary. In remaking them in play-doh I remove them from the original context and in some ways, each image is judged and seen anew.

WHERE ARE YOU BASED?

Peckham, London.

HOW DID INSTAGRAM MAKE YOUR WORK EVOLVE?

I was already getting quite a lot of contact aboutmy Tumblr but many more ‘influencers’ seemto have seen my work through Instagram and

I think it’s reached perhaps a wider and more diverse audience.

WHO ARE THE PEOPLE YOU WORK WITH?

I’ve done quite a few commissions now for AnOthermag.com including the Oscars and fashion week illustrations. I made a piece for the Italian jeweler Dodo and recently made a digital magazine cover for Cultured magazine. Also, last year a book of the project was published by MacDonaldStrand – the artists who inspired the project.

I have been offered some collaborations that I didn’t do as I felt they weren’t right for the project. I’ve also been approached about a couple of amazing projects which didn’t work out – but one day maybe they will. I’m just going to try to carry on doing what I do without being distracted by outside factors.

HOW OFTEN DO YOU POST?

Because the creations take a few hours each Ihave to fit them around my day job – so I onlymanage to do two to three a week.

WHAT ACCOUNTS DO YOU FOLLOW RELIGIOUSLY?

There is an artist in Copenhagan called @ johandeckmann whose work I love and discovered through instagram. I also like a

few photographers who don’t have massive Instagram followings such as @jocelynfreya @rick_pushinsky and @clarestrand_ stumped_2015 – each of them just doing their own thing and most importantly having fun with the Instagram format.

WHAT IS YOUR MOST LIKED ARTWORK/ PHOTO?

This changes daily! This week I was blown away by Richard Learoyd’s portraits currently on display at the V&A in London. I have many favorite photographers, Joseph Szabo, Bruce Davidson, Saul Leiter, Harry Gruyaert, Colin Jones, Nan Goldin, William Eggleston. The list is endless.

WHAT KIND OF MUSIC DO YOU LISTEN TO?

I have a very uncool love of Simon & Garfunkel.

WHAT ARE YOUR LATEST PROJECTS OR COLLABORATIONS?

My first solo exhibition in London has just finished. I’m currently producing new work forexhibitions in Germany and the US in Spring 2016 – more news to follow soon!

HOW CAN SOMEONE REACH YOU?

They can leave a comment on my Instagram.