You’ve got to know when
you work commercially
that you’re sort of bringing
two identities together.
ANDREA: Who inspires you now?
gether for ten years. He was one of my close friends from
New Jersey growing up. And then, since 2008, it’s become
RYAN: I’m inspired by a lot of younger artists these days.
a full studio office, and I employ six people. I have a studio
There’s an artist named Patrick Collins that I really like,
manager, a casting director, a videographer, a retoucher, a
and I think that there’s sort of a movement happening
choreographer, and a photo assistant. We work here Mon-
downtown of all of these young girls, and I’m close with
day through Friday, 10am to 6pm, and the studio itself is
a lot of them. And there’s an artist named India Salvor
sort of like an L shape. It has a very big library in it that
Menuez who I really like also.
takes up almost the entire studio with photo books and
I’m just really excited about their energy. I’m excited by
books about art. The back studio is where I photograph
how they have such a tight group and are all supporting
people for my “Yearbook” series, so that’s filled with lots of
and championing each other. Just to see them blossom as
colored paper and lots of different lighting equipment. All
artists, getting success and being able to support them-
the walls are magnetized, so we could move photos around
selves, is great. There’s another writer named Karley Sci-
easily and look at different photos in different sizes.
ortino, she also goes by the name Karley Slutever. She has
a website called “Slutever” where she writes about sex and
ANDREA: I’d like to talk about your commercial work
her experiences. Yeah, those are the people I really love.
for a minute. What is it about your work that translates
so well commercially?
ANDREA: I wanted to ask you about your series with
the animals. I thought some of the photos must have been
RYAN: I think that a lot of people who work in fashion
very difficult shots to get. Were the animals trained at all?
advertising see my photos and they see people naked.
Honestly, I think they see them as mannequins. They can
RYAN: I shot that series over the course of a year and a
picture their clothing on the photos that I’m taking. And I
half. I went to different animal rescues, to pet stores, to
think that there’s an energy, sort of like an honesty in my
zoos, and to personal owners that owned a lot of different
work, that a lot of people want to bring to their brand.
exotic animals. I kind of made a road trip out of it. I just
went across the United States and shot all these different
ANDREA: Do you find it difficult to straddle the art and
people’s animals. So yeah, a lot of them were trained ani-
commercial worlds?
mals. I would bring my colored paper and set it up in the
basement or on the side of a barn. Basically, each day con-
RYAN: No. I mean, most of the projects I take on commer-
sisted of however many animals somebody had who they
cially are stuff that I’m interested in. You’ve got to know
were willing to let me photograph with a model.
when you work commercially that you’re sort of bring-
A lot of those photos are happy accidents that happened.
ing two identities together. For instance, Levi’s is such a
There’s something about the spontaneity of the animals’
unique take on Americana, and they would say to weave
behavior and the honest reactions that happened between
in nature and cowboys. That was very easy for me to work
them and the models that was unpredictable and really fas-
with because I feel we were both coming from the same
cinated me. I think that was the thing that was interesting:
place. Then on the other hand if you bring in someone like
it had this unpredictability that I can’t get in the studio.
Christian Dior—that’s another company that I’ve work ed
with—their brand identity is so unique and different from
ANDREA: Can you describe your studio?
where I’m coming from. We sort of have to have a baby
together, to come at it from two different places and see
RYAN: My studio is in Chinatown. I’ve been there since
where it lands.
2004. Before that, I was just in my apartment, and I had
It’s interesting to work for different brands or even differ-
all my photos under my bed in the East Village. I actually
ent artists. I’ve worked for people from Beyoncé to Katy
lived in my studio from 2004 to 2008. I had the front part,
Perry to Lady Gaga. To see where they are coming from,
and the painter, Dan Colen, had the back part. We lived to-
to really work with somebody and make something with
Ryan McGinley, Wes (Falling), 2009.
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