Matthew Nicholson

Jun

Matthew Nicholson

Photography and Cardboard Engineering

Today we introduce you to Matthew Nicholson a photographer and cardboard engineer. We talked with Matthew about his interests and his work:

“There has always been a distinct split between the various interests and ideas that build up my portfolio of work. I often find it difficult to categories myself into a traditional discipline. If I had to, I would describe myself as both a photographer and a prop/set designer.There are a few reasons for this, firstly I practice photography because it gives me both the tools to communicate a truthful and honest message that I can keep and remember for years to come and it also provides me with a medium to play and have fun with conceptions of what we are actually seeing. For example I have always respected photographers like Gregory Crewdson and Thomas Demands endeavour to tell a compelling fictional story through a constructed set.

“I practise prop and set design because I hate modern CGI in films. I believe them to be soulless with no evidence of the human hand. I consider my work to be a reference to films such as metropolis and the original doctor who series where each scene feels like a beautifully crafted homage to human creativity and imagination. Whilst tools like photoshop and after effects are great and they obviously have their place in the industry I prefer to psychically create all of my images by hand because I enjoy the interplay at this point between knowing that the final imagery is being both untruthful in what it is attempting to communicate but at the same time the image is in fact a document of an event that has really existed.

“I like to have fun with my work and I consider what I do to be a document of me as a person which is why it so important that my essence lives on in the evidence of my hand. Finally I always aim to raise a smile within my viewer, I truly believe that if an idea doesn’t make me laugh then it isn’t worth me doing.

“My current future plans involve finishing my MA in communication design at Central Saint Martins. During my studies I have been working on a project which is about objects I want that I cannot for what ever reason obtain. For example I have always like many other photographers wanted to own an original Leica M3 camera but being the poor student that I am this remains a distant dream. So to combat this inability to own this kind of status symbol object I have designed a free paper net of a Leica M3 that will function as a pinhole camera (This will be available for download soon from my website).

“My ultimate aim with this project is to make the desirable accessible through an A4 printer. So for example I am also currently designing a Rolex watch and a paper ‘taylored suit’. All of these items will then form a new series of work which I intend to photographically document my use of these objects. For example I am currently experimenting with the results that my 35mm paper Leica is producing.”

If you are interested in more of Matthew’s work visit mattmakesstuff.co.uk.