Mobile Photography & Art – ‘Intimate Interview’ with Jeronimo Sanz from Brazil
Our forty eighth interview in this new series of intimate interviews is with talented mobile photography and artist, Jeronimo Sanz from Brazil. This interview is sumptuous on every level, comprehensively comprehensive and richly illustrated throughout. Enjoy!
To read the other published interviews in this series including artists, Adria Ellis, Rino Rossi, Mehmet Duyulmus, Alexis Rotella, Lou Ann Sanford Donahue, Irene Oleksiuk, Kerry Mitchell, Filiz Ak, Dale Botha, Lisa Mitchell, M. Cecilia Sao Thiago, Deborah McMillion, Rita Colantonio, Amy Ecenbarger, Jane Schultz, Anca Balaj, Joyce Harkin, Armineh Hovanesian, Kate Zari Roberts, Vicki Cooper, Peter Wilkin, Barbara Braman, Becky Menzies, Sukru Mehmet Omur, Sarah Bichachi, Michel Pretterklieber, Alon Goldsmith, Judy Lurie Whalberg, Andrea Bigiarni, Sean Hayes, Oola Cristina, Kathleen Magner-Rios, Linda Toki, Deb Field, Emilo Nadales, Lydia Cassatt, David Hayes, Jean Hutter, Frederic Deschênes, Mark Schnidman, Fatma Korkut, Fleur Schim, Rob Pearson-Wright, Dieter Gaebel, James Ellis, marco P Prado and myself, go here.
All images ©Jeronimo Sanz
What was your earliest childhood ambition?
It wasn’t a conscious ambition but I loved making my own comics. I made thousands of them and all the characters and stories were original … from a very young age I felt that imitating was boring, my thing was always to create. And so I went on, first with these comics, then scripts for plays, ideas for games, toys … until I got to music, poetry and finally photography.
First Recognition
I can’t remember anything significant in a formal sense. I think the kind of recognition that always struck me was those of the close people who knew me and encouraged me to continue creating. And so it is to this day.
First Job
Around the age of 14 or 15 I joined the radio, working on backstage.
Private or State school
Private.
University or work
I kept working while I tried three different academic studies. I certainly didn’t know what I wanted or I really did and couldn’t see it in any academic setting.
Who was or still is your mentor?
My mentors have always been my passions: books, music, movies and all that kind of stuff. In 2012 I got married and I can say that my wife was and has been my greatest inspiration and source of learning in the visual art universe.
How physically fit are you?
I can’t say precisely but I suspect that a little more care with my body could guarantee me a less troublesome future. Amazingly, I owe a lot to my little chihuahua for make me run and walk every day … that alone has helped me a lot. She is my personal trainer. I often say that when I grow up I want to be just like her.
Ambition or Talent. What matters more to success?
It depends on what we mean by success because I think there are different kinds of ambitions for different types of success. But one thing never changes in this equation anyway: being aware of your own talent and knowing how to refine it is indispensable for any possibility.
How politically committed are you?
My policy is: never trust a politician. It’s kind of radical but that’s how I feel. My country, Brazil, is unfortunately a nest of theft and corruption. I see no better side, all political parties are different sides of the same coin. I think we live in the twilight of a system that is bound to implode and that will force us to create new ways of living in society. Whether it’s going to be better or worse I don’t know, but I really want it to be better … it has to be better or we risk not only seeing political models being imploded but ourselves as a human gender.
What would you like to own that you don’t currently possess?
Maybe a tiny house that can fix temporary roots in bucolic and inspiring places.
What is your biggest extravagance?
It depends on the phase I’m going through. Today maybe it’s books, I’ve never read so many as I’ve been doing lately.
In what places are you happiest?
The places where I really feel myself and for that reason I feel totally happy are places that have nature. It can be a dirt road, the top of a hill, amid the rocks of a river or feeling the waves of the sea on some lonely beach.
What ambitions do you still have?
I have big and small ambitions, ranging from showing my art in ever better ways to more abstract ambitions like being able to always keep some kind of sparkle in my heart in these dark times.
What drives you on?
Art, creativity, imagination, love, passion and a dose of madness. These are the main ingredients of my fuel. I think the day I find none of these elements in my body and soul, I will simply cease to exist.
What is the greatest achievement of my life so far?
My biggest achievement is that I never gave up. Any achievements would be worth nothing if I had given up on myself in the middle of this journey.
What do you find most irritating in other people?
I’m kind of an antisocial type so there are a lot of things that piss me off. On the other hand I know that I can be very annoying, so the best I can do is try to be a better person and just focus on that (which is already quite laborious).
If your twenty year old self could see you now, what would he think?
My 20-year-old self would think something like “this older me there needs to take a few drinks but in spite of that he has been doing well”.
What object that you lost do you wish you still had?
At first I thought it would be the comics I did during my childhood. But on second thought, what I really wish I had back is not objects but moments. Not that I think they were completely lost, but in the sense that I am aware that for me there is nothing more valuable in the past than moments.
What is the greatest challenge of our time?
We all inhabit this planet and the very idea of borders, nations, separation, racism and inequality will have to disappear. I hope it doesn’t take too long.
Do you believe in the afterlife?
I believe in the Mystery.
If you had to rate your life satisfaction so far, out of ten, what would it be?
I’ve never been a good student, I’ve always gotten poor grades… so I’ll skip this one because I’ll probably try to fool myself and everyone else with a good grade.
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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)
