Local Art Residency - Scot Surbeck

LC: Tell us a bit with respect to this exhibition as compared to the previous exhibits from back in March 2019 and September 2020.

The current exhibition has a somewhat similar layout as the 2019 show (below)

But it is quite different from the 2020 show (below).

Current show (below)

SS: The current exhibit has a good balance between the photos and the surrounding space. The photos are complicated and dense and therefore invite contemplation. The spacing allows viewing without distraction from adjacent photos, yet keeps the photos close enough to be seen from a distance as a coherent group.

LC: I can’t help noticing that, and opinion only, the images seem more personal, more raw than previous…almost peeling back a layer of your subject and allowing us the viewer a closer connection to the the actual person. Does this thought seem accurate?

SS: There is a developing looseness and ambiguity in my work that I like. I don't have an emotional agenda when I shoot but I like to find images, through my camera, that interest me and others. Every viewer will interpret those images differently.

LC: There’s an image of a construction worker’s arm in the foreground of a kind of ubiquitous NYC construction area that is very powerful. I have to ask if you were aiming to capture that particular shot after assessing the scene or simply caught by lucky chance.

SS: I was looking through my view finder at the construction worker in the background when the worker in the foreground suddenly thrust his arm out. I took the picture.

LC: Of this collection, which image stands out most to you and why?

SS: They all make me happy, individually and as a group.

LC:. I’m already looking forward to your next collection. Anything planned that you can hint to?

SS: A year is a long time. I'm looking forward to it as well :)

See more of Scot’s work here: www.scotsurbeck.com

Local Art Residency: Q+A with Street Photographer Scot Surbeck

Scot, it's fun to think that this is your second exhibition at Local. You're still taking photos and we're still serving the community. How has your passion for your art evolved since we first displayed your work back in early 2019?

My passion is constant. It’s been there from the first time I pressed a camera shutter, many years ago. What is evolving is my emotional growth. Also the ability to see something photographable, compose the picture, and click the shutter, usually within 1 to 2 seconds.

It's challenging to have this Q+A without mentioning the current state of affairs in the world. As the person behind the lens capturing this environment as it unfolds, what significant trends are you able to highlight?

New York City is recovering, as I discuss in my artists statement. What’s trending is the awareness that this pandemic can be defeated only when we, and our governments, study history and respect science.

This past question leads us to the current state of our beloved NYC. At 50 years old myself, I've lived through quite a bit in the city and always felt that some mix of pure grit and spiritual vibes would enable the greatest city in the world to persist through difficult times. Please share your POV on how NYC will continue to persevere through challenging times as you review thousands of images over the past 5 years.

New York City has always been a potent and unique mixture of enlightenment, brilliance, awareness, toleration, humor and strength. I go to the city, day after day, to be recharged by that energy. Taking street photos is a wonderful plus. My photos confirm what I already know. New York City has an indomitable time tested spirit. It will defeat the pandemic and beat back the foes of democracy, and in the process solidify it’s position as a beacon of civilization for the world.

You mentioned in our last Q+A the desire to 'get better' (sic) at Street Photography. Would you be able to compare more recent photos to your initial from a technical perspective?

In my previous show, I used 26 large format pictures,  (20) - 13"x19' and  (6) - 20"x30". Set in two grids, they were easily seen from a distance. 

In this show I've used 108 pictures, all 5"x7", set in one grid. Though the overall grid of pictures has a strong visual presence, you have to get close to see the details. There is also a much stronger sequencing effect here, with paired photos selected for their shared emotions, actions, colors, shapes, etc. This technique, along with the smaller photo size, creates a slower and more intimate viewing experience than the large format pictures. It is a presentation technique I will continue to explore.

A client asked me yesterday, how does the photographer capture these images without intruding on or modifying the moment? From a purely technical perspective, what insight(s) or recommendations on Street Photography can you share for our fellow Photophiles out there?

You have to learn how to blend into the scene, to move in a way that doesn’t draw attention to yourself. It’s very difficult to do. It’s takes years to learn and master.

Mindful of current environment, Scot was thoughtful to recreate the exhibition here for online viewing

Local Talk - Q+A with New York Street Photographer Scot Surbeck

Scot, let's start with the evening you hung your photographs @ Local. I was anticipating perhaps an hour or so to place all of the images and then 4 hours in, you were almost done. Clearly, there's a highly complex process driving your craft. So two initial questions:

How do you approach each project so there's a comprehensive contextual experience? 

I study the exhibit space and how people move through it, the lighting (both natural and artificial), and the sound (ambient and music). I  envision the experience of entering and first seeing the pictures, and then moving  in for a closer look.  I then try to create an exhibit that has a strong emotional and visual presence and also enhances the space.

How did you approach the project for Local including the masterful grid display system?

The large patina metal panels and high ceiling allowed me to create a show that is relatively dense with images  and includes large scale (20" x 30") pictures mounted high that can be easily seen because of their size.  By carefully and precisely arranging the photos, a grid was created which seems appropriate for pictures taken on the grid of streets in New York City.

You have a super intimate relationship with NYC which is evident from the manner in which you capture a variety of moments. NYC is arguably the capital of the world so no surprise in selecting this market but what specific elements draw you in?

 I always feel fully alive when I'm in New York City and I look for that energy in the people and situations around me.

Of the current collection of images @ Local, which one brings you back for re-interpretation?

I can't say there's one that I keep coming back to. They are all equally interesting to me. 

At what age did you begin your craft and what was the initial driver for you to consider photography as a path?

I've loved photography all of my working life, most of which has been spent as an architect. There was no one moment when I became a street photographer. It happened gradually, then gathered steam. Now street photography defines and nurtures me, and gives me a reason to get out of bed in the morning.

Photography is an evolution, personal development as well as technology and equipment. Do you like where we are today and where photography is going or do you prefer a past time with arguably simpler option?

My learning curve as a photographer was greatly accelerated by the transformation from film to digital, and the development  of image processing software such as photoshop and light-room. It simply became much easier - and less expensive - to learn how to produce decent work. Technology doesn't produce fine art however. In order to do that, you're on your own.

What's next on you journey? Is there a project that you are working on or working towards?

My journey is street photography. I want to get better, to keep evolving as an artist and a person.

What's your favorite coffee or tea beverage?

Black coffee, room for half and half, sweetened slightly by stevia.

More of Scot’s work here: https://www.scotsurbeck.com/index