[KELP JOURNAL] The first thing I usually ask photographers is what do you look for in a shot? What makes you press the shutter down?
[PATRICK McEVOY] It can be anything really, could just be a guess that, hey, this is something I might want to look at down the road to, hm, that’s cool/appealing, to conceptual pieces and even playing around with props/different elements. I would say I’m not as technically adept to take quick shots, probably missed more than a few over time, but I always try to let my eyes peer over surroundings and see what might be interesting, especially from maybe weird/different angles. I really do look for how objects play off one another, can even maybe sense how thematically certain shots can work.
[KJ] You and I had some debate about the theme for this show and we went with “Blue”. Can you chat about how you focus on color as a photographer? Is it different than looking for other shots?
[PM] I actually have a limited photo series called Shades of Color that focuses on color more than shape or anything else (mostly not published). With that series, I look for pictures that really feature color in a striking manner, trying sometimes to juxtapose colors … speaking just as a fan of various art forms, I know if a piece is especially vibrant it pulls me right in. At least, it draws my attention to the piece. Definitely attracts my gaze. I would definitely say that focusing on color is unique, because shape, geometry and anything else falls to the background where previously such elements might be in the foreground.
[KJ] You and I had some debate about the theme for this show and we went with “Blue”. Can you chat about how you focus on color as a photographer? Is it different than looking for other shots?
[PM] I actually have a limited photo series called Shades of Color that focuses on color more than shape or anything else (mostly not published). With that series, I look for pictures that really feature color in a striking manner, trying sometimes to juxtapose colors … speaking just as a fan of various art forms, I know if a piece is especially vibrant it pulls me right in. At least, it draws my attention to the piece. Definitely attracts my gaze. I would definitely say that focusing on color is unique, because shape, geometry and anything else falls to the background where previously such elements might be in the foreground.
[KJ] Your bio is extensive and one of your creative avenues is graphic artistry. Some people have compared photos to single frame comics. Is that how you think of photography?
[PM] Photography, like all art, can tell a story, but I would say the process is different. Photography can be more instinctual, while anything to do with writing, for me, can be more methodical. I’ve written comics where text is minimized but it’s still often different from photography in the sense that it serves a story idea (usually) while that’s not necessarily the case with photography, where it can be a little more broadly thematic.
[KJ] One of your other creative avenues is writing, fiction as well as drama. Do you see any overlap with your comics? Are there any skills that translate from one to the other?
[PM] The writing process is different for each. Having written theater, prose, and comics, they each have their own style, even if telling a compelling story is often the main goal. Prose can be a labor with individual sentences syncing with each other, theater about the flowing dialogue to convey the story, while with comics I almost always (almost always) start with the images I want on the page and how they tell the story, the idea I had about the story, see how the images can work together and find balance with the text.
[KJ] I always ask my multi-disciplinary artists how they pick their form. Do the projects/subjects pick the forms themselves or do you do some tinkering to figure it out?
[PM] The images often speak in photography. Just the way objects are aligned or as we mentioned, color, and other aspects, they often call out visually in a way. There are conceptual photos but some of those even start with an image and how it can then be presented. With stories, I always love just following through with an idea. They don’t always work out maybe ideally, but that can always be worked on. As far as what idea goes in what medium, I love crossing over, having my work blend. I’ve put my photos in short play programs and sometimes have characters or stories bounce from one medium to the next.
[KJ] As a creative with an extensive resume, do you have any advice for artists and writers starting out?
[PM] Probably look for your voice, develop a strong sense of what you want to convey in any form … there are of course accidental/spontaneous works of art that’s tremendous, but I think generally that a lot still emerges from a strong/core belief about your work that might be unconscious in some ways but still there to emerge. Nothing wrong with making mistakes either, it happens sometimes.
Patrick McEvoy has had stories included in various comic book anthologies such as Emanata, Continental Cryptid and GuruKitty’s Once Upon a Time and Gateway to Beyond. Illustrated stories have also appeared on Slippery Elm's website, Murder Park After Dark Vol. 3 and in New Plains Review. A short story has also appeared on Akashic Books’ website. In addition, short plays he wrote were chosen to be performed at the Players Theatre in New York as part of their various festivals (Sex, NYC and BOO) in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2019. And he wrote and directed short plays for Emerging Artists Theatre's New Works series in 2021 and 2022. A play anthology called What May Arise was also streamed June 30-July 6th 2022 as part of the Rogue Theater Festival. He wrote and directed “Directions”, which appeared in the 2022 Dream Up Festival, as well as “Coordinates”, which appeared in Chain Theatre's 2023 Winter Festival. Photography has also been exhibited with HMVC, Greenpoint Gallery, Tiny Seed Literary Journal, Molecule, riverSedge and Good Works Review.
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