From Julie Baret’s interview [translated here from French] with Jan Rattia about his series “Tease,” currently on view at ClampArt until May 21, 2016:
(JB): What were your artistic influences?
(JR): It is difficult to briefly answer this question. . . I was mainly influenced by figurative artists who support their story through a very thoughtful use of light. Caravaggio, Robert Mapplethorpe through Philip-Lorca diCorcia, and many others.
(JB): About your models?
(JR): Although I work with professional models, I mainly photograph people for whom this is not the profession. Generally the photo shoots are longer and the models ask for more guidance from me. But it’s something I enjoy because it produces something unexpected during the process, and then the moment is very special for me and for the subject.
(JB): What is your creative approach?
(JR): What interests me is to create tension with my pictures, sometimes because of the shape, sometimes with the subject. Sometimes even a combination of these two approaches. I try to take pictures that deliver only partial stories, so that the viewer can fill in the blanks. But they usually revolve around topics that arouse a personal interest for me. I tend to think for a very long time about what I want to photograph before taking out my camera.
Browse the exhibition “Tease” at ClampArt
Browse all of Jan Rattia’s work at ClampArt