‘Brought To Light’ – Mobile Photography / Art Interview with Marguerite Khoury
Our ‘Brought to Light‘ interview section explores the mobile photographers and mobile artists behind their art. Each question has been carefully crafted and is designed to allow us to get to know them a little more intimately. To view others that we have published in this series, please go here.
Today we are featuring Marguerite Khoury from Canada, she is an experienced photographer and her style is immediately recognisable. Always using herself as the main subject, her rich and evocative images demonstrate a strong sense of atmosphere. Acutely aware of the viewer in all of her self-portraits, she leverages this voyeuristic relationship to expose a deeper narrative, expressing who she is and how she thinks. This is a highly orchestrated, cohesive and glamorous body of work, replete with deeper narrative, depicting a tender aura and modern take on femininity, grace and identity.
This body of work drew us to Marguerite Khoury, enjoy.
Describe a moment that changed your life
I believe in every stage of our life we feel something has caused a ripple or change. That first kiss when you feel you’ve conquered the world. The first breakup when you think you’ll never love again. Or the birth of your first child where you make an internal promise that the rest of your life now belongs to them. I’ve been through all these motions. But ultimately the moment that changed my life, is my divorce. It gave me layers of complex emotions. I was angry, disappointed and liberated all at the same time. It made me reflect more on who I am and who I wanted to be. I can happily say I am the best person I could possibly be from that moment on.
‘Curious’ ©Marguerite Khoury
Describe a childhood photographic/art memory
I was 12 years old. I’ve always been a daydreamer. Especially as a young teen. I don’t have the time to indulge in that sort of thing now. Lol. So I did very well in art class. I could shut everyone out and do my thing. We were asked to create a charcoal drawing. A huge poster size for an art exhibit to represent the school. So I got to work. By the end of the day I had this exotic female enchantress in front of me. It was one of those pieces you say to yourself….”I can’t believe I did that.” After the exhibit I was approached by my teacher that someone would like to by the art. I couldn’t believe it. Unfortunately I refused the sale. At the time I felt it was a part of me and couldn’t part with it. Now I wish I had because it might still be around.
‘Exfoliate’ ©Marguerite Khoury
Describe your mobile studio
My mobile studio is small and simple. It’s a bare room with walls and no flooring. As well as a professional lighting set. My photos are taken with an Android mobile phone and then transferred to my iPad where there are an endless number of apps for editing. My favourites include Union, ArtStudio, and Mextures.
‘Tangled’ ©Marguerite Khoury
What do you like to think about whilst creating images?
When I capture an image for editing I first decide what I want the focal point to be. From there I have a clear idea what steps I need to take to achieve that look. My mind creates a step by step formula with the apps and I go for it.
‘Falling Apart’ ©Marguerite Khoury
Share one mobile photography/art tip
A great edit starts with a great photo. My tip would be try not to stage a shot. Some of the best captures are taken spontaneously.
‘Feminism’ ©Marguerite Khoury
What or who ignited your passion for mobile photography/art?
A couple years ago I was scrolling down my Instagram feed and a noticed a promo post for mobile masters magazine. I was intrigued so I bought the issue. As was astonished by the talent. I came across Cedric Blanchon profile. His photo manipulation of this piece “cereal killer” was all it took for me to shut down the Instagram account I had then, download all the apps recommended in the magazine and start my journey as a mobile artists.
‘Despair’ ©Marguerite Khoury
What is the most unusual subject you have photographed/painted?
Well considering I’m 99% the subject of my content I guess it would have to be me. Lol Although photographing myself may not be unusual the things I do for a great pic might be considered so. For example last week, I’m at the mall in the Mac makeup shop and I see metal beaded curtains to a separate room. I instantly took out my phone, threw my face into the curtains and took three quick shots. I’m sure everyone around me thought I was crazy.
‘Must Get Out’ ©Marguerite Khoury
What are your favourite mobile photography accessories?
Other than my phone and iPad the only other took I constantly use is my Monet stylus. It’s to be used for drawing on a tablet. It fits nicely in my hand with the special curve in the handle and the felt tip doesn’t wear out as fast.
‘Heat Wave’ ©Marguerite Khoury
Describe your dream photography assignment
My dream as a mobile artist is not about assignments but rather a career. My dream would be to open a retail store with high quality home decor using artist images. Creating a boutique style setting from living rooms to bedrooms to baths. Display one of a kind pieces and collections. A commission of the sales would go back to the artist and a small percentage to local art charities. I would have a space for a studio as well as workshops throughout the week teaching mobile photography and techniques. In the summer I would hold children’s day camps. Where we venture out through the day with mobile devices capturing images of the day trip and editing them back in the studio. Each student leaves with a printed collection of their original works by the end of the week.
‘I Kissed a Mystery’ ©Marguerite Khoury
What does mobile photography/art mean to you?
Spontaneous inspiration. It allows me to capture, edit and share without losing momentum. It a wonderful tool to have in your back pocket.
©Marguerite Khoury
While you’re here…
TheAppWhisperer has always had a dual mission: to promote the most talented mobile artists of the day and to support ambitious, inquisitive viewers the world over. As the years passTheAppWhisperer has gained readers and viewers and found new venues for that exchange.
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Joanne Carter
Joanne Carter, creator of the world’s most popular mobile photography and art website— TheAppWhisperer.com— TheAppWhisperer platform has been a pivotal cyberspace for mobile artists of all abilities to learn about, to explore, to celebrate and to share mobile artworks. Joanne’s compassion, inclusivity, and humility are hallmarks in all that she does, and is particularly evident in the platform she has built. In her words, “We all have the potential to remove ourselves from the centre of any circle and to expand a sphere of compassion outward; to include everyone interested in mobile art, ensuring every artist is within reach”, she has said. Promotion of mobile artists and the art form as a primary medium in today’s art world, has become her life’s focus. She has presented lectures bolstering mobile artists and their art from as far away as the Museum of Art in Seoul, South Korea to closer to her home in the UK at Focus on Imaging. Her experience as a jurist for mobile art competitions includes: Portugal, Canada, US, S Korea, UK and Italy. And her travels pioneering the breadth of mobile art includes key events in: Frankfurt, Naples, Amalfi Coast, Paris, Brazil, London. Pioneering the world’s first mobile art online gallery - TheAppWhispererPrintSales.com has extended her reach even further, shipping from London, UK to clients in the US, Europe and The Far East to a global group of collectors looking for exclusive art to hang in their homes and offices. The online gallery specialises in prints for discerning collectors of unique, previously unseen signed limited edition art. Her journey towards becoming The App Whisperer, includes (but is not limited to) working for a paparazzi photo agency for several years and as a deputy editor for a photo print magazine. Her own freelance photographic journalistic work is also widely acclaimed. She has been published extensively both within the UK and the US in national and international titles. These include The Times, The Sunday Times, The Guardian, Popular Photography & Imaging, dpreview, NikonPro, Which? and more recently with the BBC as a Contributor, Columnist at Vogue Italia and Contributing Editor at LensCulture. Her professional photography has also been widely exhibited throughout Europe, including Italy, Portugal and the UK. She is currently writing several books, all related to mobile art and is always open to requests for new commissions for either writing or photography projects or a combination of both. Please contact her at: [email protected]
