At Canvas magazine we pride ourselves on presenting to you some of the most innovative and undiscovered artists in the fields of fashion and design. Many a late night is spent hunched over the computer, endlessly searching for artists of interest. For our latest feature article on Kristiina Wilson the tables have been turned; this designer sought us, surprising us with an approach to fashion photography that looks beyond the generic fashion image. In the following pages you will find that Kristiina has a body of work that is both witty and presents a new way of viewing fashion.
Fashion, in its very nature, is often regarded as a superficial interest but it has been said that its the photography that gives fashion depth. Fashion photography requires ideation and out-of-the-box thinking and Kristiina is one of the most exciting artists Canvas has come across. We have asked just a few questions to Kristiina, not for lack of interest in knowing but because her work speaks volumes without words.
CANVAS: You have a strong fashion editorial folio. Did you have an interest in fashion prior to photography or was it an area which you developed while learning?
KRISTINA I have always loved clothes, that has definitely been a strong interest for me since I was very small. And when I started photography in high school, what I was shooting looked like fashion — I wasn’t really aware at the time what I was up to, but when I revisit it now it is really obvious to me where I was heading and what my interest was. However, I went to an undergraduate BFA program with very strong photojournalism and fine art leanings and it never occurred to me to start shooting fashion until a few years ago — at which point my parents actually told me they had always thought that’s what I should have been doing anyway!
From a commercial perspective, you have a great understanding of how a product needs to be shot and therefore sold. Do you prefer commercial fashion work to editorial?
I like both equally. Editorial is a playground, you can really experiment and go crazy and do whatever kooky ideas you have in your head. Advertising is a great challenge because it tends to really narrow your focus and you have to come up with a great way to sell something, showcase it and please a ton of people that are often arguing about an approach. I think having a 50/50 split between the two types of work is a good balance creatively to keep things fresh.
Loved the campaign with Marimekko. Do you ever feel like you’ve had a “big break” in photography? I imagine New York is bursting with creatives and quite competitive; do you think sometimes it takes just one big commercial job to open the biggest of doors?
No way! I am not sure anyone ever feels they have a “big break” I think once you get one client you have always been dreaming of, you start looking right away at the next one up the ladder. I am always pushing myself an in a sense, nothing is ever quite good enough — which keeps me on my toes and working hard every day.
