Itinerant artist/skateboarder Shaun Powers and photographer Gogy Esparza are the latest to hook up with Copenhagen’s Soulland as part of the brand’s Curated By interview series. The New York duo, in Copenhagen for their BLOODY MONEY exhibition, (hosted by Soulland, Sam Jarou & TEST Gallery), met with the brand for a chat about New York, authenticity and getting fired, amongst other things. Check out a short extract below and head over here for the complete piece.
Shawn, I read about your impromptu photo show in an elevator in the building where you worked. How did that come about?
Shawn: I was taking a lot of disposable photos with disposable cameras. I was smoking weed and got all these crazy fucking ideas. I was in an elevator all day at work and my mind was getting bored. I wanted to impress all these rich people that lived in the building. I was like: “Yo, they probably love art. Let me do something here.” I showed up to work one day, I wasn’t even wearing the my work outfit. I was wearing nice clothes. I’d just started my shift, I got in the elevator and hung up five photos of my friend, Brengar. The tenants were kinda freaked out. The super of the building called me to his office and told me “What are you doing? You’re trying to sell art to the tenants? That’s it buddy. You’re fired, you gotta go.”
Gogy, you’ve done group shows before, amongst other together with Peter Sutherland and Maggie Lee. What do you think that format has to offer as compared to a solo show?
Gogy: Collaboration. I love collaboration. That’s how you grow. I feel like magic occurs, it brings the best out in you.