The interviews are conducted by VB Contemporary's director, Vian Borchert. Besides being a multidisciplinary noted international artist. Borchert has been a writer and art critic for over a decade contributing with art articles in a national online newspaper within the U.S.A. Borchert gets called upon to cover and write reviews for major retrospectives and exhibitions in world-class American museums. Borchert is also the Art Lead / curator of the art segment for "Oxford Public Philosophy Journal" for the Turn 5 issue - "Oxford Public Philosophy" is a philosophy journal based at Oxford University, UK. The journal is a space for critically questioning what philosophy is and how we're doing it, in form and content.
Interview with Rob Hann
Rob Hann
About the artist:
Rob Hann is an accomplished photographer who was born on a farm, a short distance from Stonehenge, in the south of England. He bought a camera at the age of 31 with the idea to become a photographer. In the following years Rob shot a great many portraits for magazines and record companies. In 2001 he took his first road trip in The United States shooting what he found along the way. Rob moved from London to the US in 2003 and from 2010 concentrated exclusively on his road trip photography. More recently he’s been experimenting with shooting objects that he places within the landscape.
Rob now divides his time between New York City and Joshua Tree, California. He has 7 photographs in the permanent collection of The National Portrait Gallery in London. Rob’s first book, Diesel Fried Chicken, was published by The Artist Edition in 2018.
Tell us about your "Beginnings", how did you start your artist journey? How did your childhood influence your creative career path? And, how is your beginnings / childhood "Reflective" within your work?
I started my journey relatively late in life, buying a camera with the idea to become a photographer at the age of 31. I was living in Milan, Italy working as a model. Being in that world I thought about shooting fashion but after seeing a wonderful Irving Penn exhibition I started shooting portraits. Some years later, seeking to shoot more personal work, I flew to the United States and undertook the first of the road trips which came to define the photographer I would become. I photographed things that I saw along the way, things that I found enigmatic, surreal, beautiful and sometimes humorous.
I grew up on a farm near Stonehenge in southern England. Maybe that iconic mysterious feature within a relatively empty landscape imprinted itself on my subconscious and can explain the nature of my road trip work.
Joshua Tree, California
Walk us through your day from morning till evening along with your creative process? What does a day for "Rob Hann" look like? Where do you find inspiration in the area by which you reside? And, What do "Shadows" mean to you?
I guess I could describe a day when I'm on the road taking pictures. I'll rise before dawn to catch the early light. I'll usually have a destination in mind, even if it's just a name on the map. There may be something I want to check out but I'm hoping to come across things I can't even imagine are there. I'm always alone and I'm always prepared to change my route depending on what I'm seeing along the way or how I'm feeling. Whenever I see a potential photo I'll pull over and take a look through my camera. I shoot with a medium format film camera and have just 10 frames on a roll. If I'm not excited by what I'm seeing through the camera I won't even shoot one picture of that scene.
Recently I've been experimenting with carrying objects with me on the road to place within the landscape. The red square you can see in the VB-Contemporary exhibition is one of those objects. It's something I want to explore more to see what I can come up with.
Since I started taking the road trips I've been drawn to the open spaces of the American west. A few years ago my partner and I got a house in Joshua Tree, California where we spend several months each year. The surrounding area of the Mojave Desert is the perfect location for many of my photos.
I don't think very much about shadows but they're usually there in the photos and can add an important graphic element to the picture.
As an artist, what have been some of the biggest challenges you've faced in your career? And, what have been your best achievements for you personally and professionally? Who are your favorite artists and why do you find their art captivating?
It's a constant challenge to make work that is both interesting and beautiful. For many years I've survived entirely by selling prints of my work. I have a modest lifestyle but it's challenging to continue to sell enough work to support myself and to be able to take the road trips to make new work.
I produced my first book, Diesel Fried Chicken, published by The Artist Edition, a few years ago. The edition of 1000 books sold out and I'm considering a reprint. I'm working on a second book of new photographs which should see the light of day in 2025.
I've had 2 solo shows with Larsen Warner gallery in Stockholm as well as a museum show in Sweden. I also have 7 photographs in the permanent collection of The National Portrait Gallery in London.
I have many favorite artists. I love the clever paintings of Ed Ruscha, Wim Wenders' wonderful movie, Paris Texas, Joni Mitchell's complex music, especially the restless road songs on her haunting album Hejira, Edward Hopper's melancholy scenes, William Eggleston's edgy photographs and among contemporary photographers I love the work of Bryan Schutmaat. I often reread the short stories of Sam Shepard although he's better known as a playwright. All of these different artists produce feelings in my that I can't quite put my finger on but that has me returning over and over again to try to unravel the mystery they hold within.