A magician never reveals his secrets

Featuring Patricia Voulgaris Words by Nastasia Khmelnitski

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Patricia Voulgaris works predominantly with black and white, which arose as a part of developing her vision and working to create a distinct narrative. Patricia explains the shift to monochrome, “I focused on shadows, tones, and the ways in which my subject moved through space. Black and white certainly elevates one's presence and influences the way we interpret an image.” With her ongoing project, The Hunter, we are introduced to the themes of control and violence.

The research is about the tension of subjects being in or out of power. Mere Exposure is a structured conceptual project in which the body is a form shaped constructionally and is in a dialogue with the objects in a frame. The project Fragments evolves around elements and the connection between the body and the outside world. Patricia’s narrative develops to open up and include more information with each project working with the emotions and interpretations the viewer might incorporate into the images. The mystic element gains more presence and allows an additional layer of meaning to emerge.  

Patricia Voulgaris is a New York-based photographer. She gained her BFA in Photography from the School of Visual Arts and has recently started her studies towards the MFA at the Yale School of Art. Patricia was a finalist in the Aperture Portfolio prize this year, and her work was exhibited, among others, in the Aperture Foundation, Rubber Factory, and Red Hook Labs. In this interview, we speak with Patricia about her choice to work with black and white photography to enhance her vision, her studies towards the MFA, and her thoughts on the place of social media as connected to the artist’s work. 

‘I focused on shadows, tones, and the ways in which my subject moved through space. Black and white certainly elevates one's presence and influences the way we interpret an image.’

My Story

Let’s speak about your practice and the way it develops from project to project. Starting from the beginning: what led you to choose to work with black and white images? How does monochrom help to support your main themes? 

I’ve always found it difficult to create images in color. This is something that I discovered when I was a student at the School of Visual Arts. I was photographing family members for a project, and I felt pressured to create color images that were accurate. The pressure of perfection led me to a path of exhaustion, and I eventually pivoted to black and white. I was able to let go and move forward with an open mind. I focused on shadows, tones, and the ways in which my subject moved through space. Black and white certainly elevates one's presence and influences the way we interpret an image. I’m also a big fan of older movies, so it all comes full circle in a strange way. 

‘I think, as of right now, I am struggling to find the balance between the worlds that I have been working in. Balance of power, darkness and control are all themes that sit in a particular place that is true to me. I sometimes forget about the softer parts of life.’

MFA

You’re currently studying for your MFA at the Yale School of Arts. Before that, you graduated with a BFA in Photography from the School Of Visual Arts. How do you think learning the theory impacts your practice? 

I am about to enter my first year at Yale, and I'm really excited to meet everyone and make more work. I’m not sure what I will be influenced by, but I am certainly open to learning as much as I can.

The Hunter

You explore the physical act of violence with your ongoing project, The Hunter. The theme of control is presented by carefully posing your subject or object to reveal only as much information as is required to introduce the story. What are the questions you are working on with the project and which remain unanswered for you? 

I think, as of right now, I am struggling to find the balance between the worlds that I have been working in. Balance of power, darkness and control are all themes that sit in a particular place that is true to me. I sometimes forget about the softer parts of life. I have to slow down and recognize their potential. The Hunter is a project that is continuously evolving, and I’m not sure if I will ever find answers to the questions that I am looking for.

‘I often feel alone, ashamed and desperate to connect to others beyond the superficial facade that we all have adapted to. I think I’m just a real person who can see past the facade, and that can be terrifying to some people.’

The Theme

It seems there’s no place for the ‘dark side’ on social media, the majority of content being a celebration presenting only one part of the story. The cancellation of thoughts or emotions that are not aligned with the ‘happy’ theme is taking over. Exhibitions, websites, and photo books are the remaining outlet to show the other side. With your work, you raise important questions of perception, ways to deal with anger and violence, and the place of art with those themes. What is it like to build your voice and place yourself as a photographer who deals with those themes? 

I think it’s important to acknowledge that for me personally, social media is not reflective of how I move through the world. It’s a false performative representation of a space that influences the way we present ourselves online. I often feel alone, ashamed and desperate to connect to others beyond the superficial facade that we all have adapted to. I think I’m just a real person who can see past the facade, and that can be terrifying to some people.

Memories and Violence

From Fragments to Mere Exposure to The Hunter, you work with your body and various materials, which assist in covering or unveiling more of the details. With each project, the story becomes more revealing of the character (in a physical way) and more complex as a narrative emerges. There’s an additional layer that shows more in your Instagram account — the mystic: the images of the forest and the nightlife of animals. How do you build the narrative, the character, and the setup? 

I think a lot of my process is trying out ideas, whether that be with a clear motive or not. At the end of the day, it either comes together or it doesn’t. It’s important to keep working towards your goals and keep making work. I’ve adapted to make work anywhere, but unfortunately, I do not have a studio. 

A Sneak Peek

Could you provide us a sneak peek into the project you’re currently working on or some of the themes in development? 

A magician never reveals his secrets.