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Meet The Artist

Meet The Artist: Andy Phillipson

Regular guests of the Chamäleon have surely already encountered his work: For many years, Andy Phillipson has been capturing the special moments of our productions in photographs. He usually comes to Berlin during the preview period of a show to photograph three to four performances and the rehearsals surrounding them, and we are always delighted to welcome him.

Andy was born in the north-east of England, but for the last 25 years has lived in Edinburgh, working as a freelance photographer. Andy’s favourite thing is to photograph New Circus.

In our Meet The Artist, we would like to learn more about him and his work as a photographer – so let’s meet Andy!

Against a beige background, an artist strikes a pose in mid-air. Her arms are stretched upwards and her legs are bent.Photo: Andy Phillipson

Hi Andy, when was the first time you worked with the Chamäleon, and how did it feel for you?

The first time I worked with the Chamäleon was 15 years ago – it felt new, exciting but a little bit daunting, it was also very hot – what I now know to be a typical Berlin summer. I was made to feel at home very quickly and the adventure began. The first show I photographed was Soap.

A bath against a black background. A person perceived as male is sitting in the bath, his arms crossed at the centre of the rim, with his head resting on his hands. Standing above him is a person perceived as female, with her legs apart, resting on both outer edges of the bath. The woman has her head resting on her hand and her elbow resting on the head of the man beneath her. A jet of water is spraying over both of them. Photo: Andy Phillipson

Has anything changed ever since?

None of those things have changed other than Summer is even hotter now – if anything, the excitement increases with each visit I make as New Circus evolves. What has developed is my relationship with the Chamäleon and all of the people who work there. It’s a wonderful feeling to come ‘Home’ every time.

How would you describe your style of photography?

I like to think it’s quite naturalistic and that it carries a sense of quietude, it can be quite abstract and sometimes characterised by motion – I love a blurred image. When it comes to Circus I like my pictures to be clean – with no distractions, in tone I vary between them being very direct or very elusive without much in between.

A blurry photograph of lots of skyscrapers standing close together. The skyscraper at the bottom right says: New Yorker Photo: Andy Phillipson

What is it like to photograph contemporary circus? In terms of technique, what do you have to pay particular attention to?

In a word – amazing. Just to run away with the circus is a thrill in itself but to find little pieces of magic with my cameras can literally make my heart skip a beat. Technically it can be a real challenge with low or constantly changing light levels combined with fast-moving subjects, I have to think incredibly quickly – almost instinctively. I am often breathless mentally in the immediate aftermath of a show.

Against a black background, artists are performing hand-to-hand acrobatics. In the centre, a woman is performing a split handstand on the hands of another female artist. The image of these two women is duplicated on the right-hand side of the picture. On the left-hand side of the picture, another female artist is performing a split handstand on the hands of yet another person.Photo: Andy Phillipson

Can you describe what it`s like to work with so many artists?

It’s been a privilege over the years to work close-up with some of the world’s most talented performers, I am constantly amazed by the dedication, talent and good humour of them all – it’s what makes my job such a pleasure. It’s great fun to work artists I have previously worked with and it’s been fascinating to watch careers blossom over the years. It’s also great to meet and work with new artists and companies as they become part of the community.

Show photography by A Simple Space. The artists are standing in a circle doing handstands against a black background. Lots of colourful balls are flying around them.Photo: Andy Phillipson

What else does your artistic work include besides show photography?

I work with a lot of artists and galleries back in Edinburgh and have photographed thousands of pieces of art. I am lucky to have worked with most of Scotland’s best known painters and sculptors and have seen some amazing things, it’s a privilege to get to visit studios and storerooms that most people will never see. I am also working on a few personal projects so watch this space.

The background is white at the top and fades to black towards the bottom. In the centre of the photograph are the silhouettes of two people facing each other. In the top left-hand corner are the silhouettes of two birds in flight.Photo: Andy Phillipson

Can you share some other things you do like to photograph?

I love meeting and connecting with people and a camera provides a really good way to do that, I love going somewhere like Naples to take pictures for that reason.  I find a lot of truth in taking photos of normal people doing everyday things, for me it’s where the heart of humanity lies.

A black-and-white photograph. An older person, who appears to be male, is sitting behind the wheel of a car and looking straight at the camera from the left.Photo: Andy Phillipson

What inspires you?

Not knowing what you will find around the next corner or who you might meet tomorrow, the expectation that there will be new things to ‘see’. A desire to take better pictures and find new ways of seeing things is always an inspiration too.

A black-and-white photograph of a house wall. The sun is shining on this wall from the top right. In the bottom left of the picture, a barely recognisable figure is leaning against the wall.Photo: Andy Phillipson

What do you like to do besides photography?

I love going to art galleries – Berlin has some fantastic ones, you can often find me wide-eyed in the Gemäldegalerie or Alte Nationalgalerie. Playing Frisbee is probably my other favourite thing to do along with driving my vintage MX5 around with the roof down. I also love to talk to dogs and to wear sunglasses.

In the centre stands a person who appears to be male. He has his back to the photographer. He is standing inside a market stall.Photo: Andy Phillipson

Are there moments you do especially like to remember at the Chamäleon?

I have so many fond memories of the Chamäleon but one abiding one is of Circa’s Billie Wilson-Coffey after a show teaching me to run with a tiny hand-made paper propeller spinning on the end of my finger held on solely by air resistance back and forward through the theatre. Priceless!

The general memory I take away every time is of the amazing people who work at Chamäleon and who generate so much warmth between it’s walls.

 

Several people use their bodies to form a single, horizontal shape. They are only visible in the strong red light, whilst the background is completely blackPhoto: Andy Phillipson

You can check out more of Andy’s work here – www.livewireimage.com

You can find Andy on Instagram and Facebook under @andyphillipsonphotography.

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