‘Impossible’ Article with Joe Papagoda – TheAppWhisperer
Today, we are delighted to publish our nineteenth ‘Impossible’ article (to view the others, go here), this time we are featuring Joe Papagoda, a fine art student studying Art History and Photography. “What lead me to experiment with Impossible Project film is my interest in art history, and the enigmatic artists from the 20th century such as Francesca Woodman, Imogen Cunningham, and Andy Warhol who’ve all had a part in jolting my interest in fine art film photography…” Don’t miss this…
“Unforeseeable” is an ongoing project of self portraits to be presented in form of a polyptych. I took inspiration from the iconography found in classical Greek sculpture and mythology, and combined that with the dark atmospheric imagery commonly observed in romanticism artworks of the 18th century, specifically by Gustave Doré. I then set out to create an esoteric series of photos with my own personal aesthetic influenced by these studies in art history.
I like to view this series as the story of a conflicted archangel, but I’m all for analyzing art, so the message of this work is open to interpretation. I think that’s one of the best things about studying art, it’s fun to connect the dots and create your own story.
Besides this project I’ve also had fun exploring double exposures with the Impossible Project film. My interest in art comes from its unpredictable nature, so I wanted a way to depict this in a few self portraits of myself. I thought it’d be great to do this with instant film seeing as how unpredictable and unique the film can be.
My photos were all shot on a Polaroid Spectra just so I could use the self-timer feature and turn off the flash. For self portraits I spent some time mapping out a frame on the wall. I used pencil to mark my boundaries and positioned myself based off of that. I used PZ 600 Silver Shade film, and later used the B&W film. What I liked about the Silver Shade film was how light and creamy the tones were. The B&W film created a similar effect, however the contrast was so much stronger. At first I was worried about how different the two would be. But it worked well in the end when the photos were viewed in order. You can see a chiaroscuro effect taking place as there’s a nice transition from light to dark, and I had always intended that this work would take on a darker tone.
When not studying Joe has plenty of photo editing, abstract painting and blogging to keep him busy. In his spare time, Joe is a freelance photographer. You can see more of his work on Instagram, tumblr, and artfinder.
‘Unforeseeable’ ©Joe Papagoda
‘Art is Unpredictable’ ©Joe Papagoda
©Joe Papagoda
©Joe Papagoda
©Joe Papagoda
©Joe Papagoda
©Joe Papagoda
©Joe Papagoda
©Joe Papagoda
Joanne Carter
Joanne Carter is a British photography journalist, editor, curator, and the founder of *TheAppWhisperer.com*, one of the world’s leading platforms dedicated to mobile photography and art. Since its launch in 2009, TheAppWhisperer has become an international hub for artists of all levels to discover, learn, exhibit, and engage with contemporary photographic practice.Built on principles of inclusivity, accessibility, and artistic excellence, Joanne has spent almost two decades championing mobile photography as a serious artistic medium. Through interviews, critical essays, exhibitions, competitions, and education, she has helped shape and document the evolution of mobile art on a global scale.Her work has taken her internationally, lecturing on photography and mobile art at institutions and events including the Museum of Art in Seoul, South Korea, alongside appearances in the UK and Europe. She has served as a juror for international photography and mobile art awards across Portugal, Canada, the United States, South Korea, Italy, and the UK.Joanne is also the founder of *TheAppWhispererPrintSales.com*, one of the first online galleries dedicated exclusively to collectible mobile art, connecting artists with collectors across Europe, the United States, and Asia.Before founding TheAppWhisperer, Joanne worked extensively in print journalism and photographic publishing, including roles at a paparazzi photo agency and as deputy editor of a leading photography magazine. Her freelance journalism, criticism, and commentary have been published widely in both the UK and the US, with bylines in *The Times*, *The Sunday Times*, *The Guardian*, *Popular Photography*, *NikonPro*, *DPReview*, *Which?*, *Vogue Italia*, *LensCulture*, the *BBC*, and more recently, the *Financial Times*, where her published letters on photography continue to contribute to wider conversations around the medium.Alongside her editorial and curatorial work, Joanne’s own photographic practice has been exhibited internationally across the UK, Europe, South Korea, and the United States. Her work increasingly explores themes of grief, loss, death, memory, and the body.Her current research interests centre on grief, death, and poverty, with forthcoming postgraduate study leading towards doctoral research in these areas.Joanne is currently developing new long-form writing and photographic projects and is available for commissions, editorial projects, speaking engagements, and collaborations.Contact: joannetheappwhisperer@gmail.com)
