JAMESPOPSYS - WHEN TWO WORLDS COLLIDE
WHEN TWO WORLDS COLLIDE
HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE YOUR WORK?
I want my work to look nothing like work, it’s all about play. I use photoshop to blend images together, and my only goal is to get a laugh or smile from the viewer.
WHAT DOES YOUR ART FOCUS ON?
Juxtapositions and irony mostly. I try to ask ‘what wouldn’t work here?’ rather than what would.I’ve found that to be an effective way of surfacinghumor. I try to use ideas and themes from my every day life. I haven’t dipped into anything too political or controversial yet maybe in the future...
WHAT TRIGGERS YOUR IMAGINATION?
I’m always looking around me for inspiration. It could be something as simple as an object sitting on my desk which triggers an idea. I always try to look beyond the everyday nature of an object to see how wit and humor can be conveyed in it.
WHERE ARE YOU BASED?
Another tough one. A lot of my previous work was based in and about London, where I lived for fouryears. Other stuff was made in Sydney where I livedafter that. Right now my girlfriend and I are trying to decide where to base ourselves next. We both love London, it’s my favourite city and the best place in the world to create as there is so much variety, but living there has it’s downsides.
WHEN DID YOU JOIN INSTAGRAM?
Well, I started my first account in 2014, butwhen I moved to Australia and stopped posting as regularly, my engagement plummeted. When I got back to the UK at the start of this year I decided that rather than spamming people who were not interested in my posts I would start again from scratch. So my new account is only a baby, born in January 2017.
HOW DID IT MAKE YOUR WORK EVOLVE?
Instagram is like a turbocharger for me. I would be creating even if nobody ever saw my work, but the feedback I’ve had from Instagram (good and bad) gets me out of bed and location huntingfaster than coffee ever did. Seeing people havea reaction to your work is a powerful motivator.
WHO ARE THE PEOPLE YOU WORK WITH?
I’m sad to say that too often I’ve tried to stay clear of collaborations, telling myself they are a distraction. I’m not the type of guy to work with someone to gain a few of their followers. This
year though I’m going to make an extra effort towork with and learn from people I admire.
HOW OFTEN DO YOU POST?
Luckily for me photography is my full time job at the moment. In the past I’ve had to hold down a marketing job in the week and work on my concepts on the side, but at the moment I’m able to create and release new work most days. Hopefully that’ll continue, it’s my favorite way to spend my time.
WHAT ACCOUNTS DO YOU FOLLOW RELIGIOUSLY?
I love coming across accounts as varied and full of talent as @plastikstudios, but aside from you guys I never want to miss posts from @paperboyo, @londonviewpoints, @finn, @tanaka_tatsuya and @simply.cool.design.
WHAT IS YOUR MOST LIKED ARTWORK/ PHOTO?
At the moment I think it’s one called ‘High life’, -basically it’s a hot air balloon flying over an atlas- it is one of my favorites! Because I’ve started a new account though a lot of my best work isn’t up yet, so I don’t imagine ‘High life’ will be top of the pile for long.
WHAT KIND OF MUSIC DO YOU LISTEN TO?
I’ve just started a YouTube channel and a lot of the videos I’m working on need music, so I’m spending a lot of time on SoundCloud at the moment looking for talented producers. I try to catch the Future Beats Show on SoundCloud every week too - great music to edit and email to.
WHAT ARE YOUR LATEST PROJECTS OR COLLABORATIONS?
More of the same, more often is my goal this year, but with a bigger focus on video; behind the scenes, tutorials, vlogs, travel, gear reviews, that sort of thing. I’m hoping any collaborations I work on can spill into video too. @paperboyo is top of the list, Rich is doing some incredible things on his account.
HOW CAN SOMEONE REACH YOU?
I open instagram every time I see my phone soI’m easy to find there. Otherwise you can getme through my website, the form on there goes straight to my email - be great to hear from you!