Photos by: Holly Van Voast
Full Name: Holly Van Voast
Age: 40
Currently Residing: The Bronx
Currently Listening to: the silent thoughts of my booming life
Equipment: Panasonic Lumix FZ20
I am always amazed at how randomly I meet talented people. For instance, my work may be a stagnant, stale environment, but within it are a plethora of individuals whose artistic gifts go virtually unnoticed. Even though this may present itself as a challenge in my search for the gifted, it makes my endeavors more interesting and quite resourceful.
When I first saw Holly Van Voast, it was quite apparent to me that she may be someone of interest. I passed her quite frequently in the halls of workdom, but did not engage with her. It is the mane of locks which presents itself at first, curled and piled high and out upon her head. When I first decided to speak with Miss Van Voast I had heard she had a knack for taking pics at the horse track. For those who are unaware, I love the track and I love horses. Holly has a deep voice accompanied by a child-like fascination which is both intriguing and sweet. She is an old soul and a New York native and you would never think she attains the years she does.
Van Voast's photographs are what grab me most. The personality stands by itself, but it is what she captures behind the lens that I find so beguiling. I was fascinated that she is obsessed with jockeys. It is what she sees within those men that creates a whole new world in that sport. She has a way of seizing the intensity of their facial expressions and portrays them in a light which is strong and manly. Five feet can be beautifully gritty. It is with this passion that Van Voast gets the photos she does. She sees things in such a way that is almost imaginary. Her perspective, her angles, the way she candidly captures expressions, all these things are main components for Holly's work, but for someone who just decided to flirt with trees, it seems she is one with the lens. I couldn't help but notice Holly's self portraits as well, not only does she have the talent for representing others she is incredibly photogenic herself. I do hope she completes her first book. It will be a refreshing look into a really vivid world...the world of Holly Van Voast - LensJockey.
When you did you begin your relationship with photography and has it always been an interest of yours or was it more of a lead in from another medium?
My relationship with photography started after a short flirtation shooting trees in Woodlawn Cemetery and grew into an overwhelming phenomenon when I went to Belmont Park for the 2002 Belmont Stakes.
I saw the jockeys and something made me want to capture their energy and personalities – plus I was alone and had to project my erotic sensual nature onto some men SOMEWHERE ha ha. One especially, Edgar Prado had the face that I was obsessed with visually for a couple of years. I knew nothing about photography technically. Luckily I got into it just as digital photography became so widespread and popular that I could get a camera that had enough power to give me something good.
You have an incredibly humanistic approach to your photos...how do you manage to capture this on film? What inspires you?
I believe that the photographer gets the pictures they deserve. You have to look for what you are going to get, and seeing as much digital photography as I've looked at over the last year on Flickr, I am more convinced than ever of this idea. When shooting people, and you want eye contact for a traditional painterly style of portrait, and you don't know the person and they don't know you and there is a sort of suspicious wariness on both sides, you (well I did anyway because I’m unusual) get interesting things that you wouldn't get if you had more of a conservative following-the-rules type of relationship with the subject.
I wanted to get pictures of these men that I admire that neither of us had seen much of. A sort of unfamiliar familiarity is what I am after. A wary trust. As far as what inspires me, jockeys do, and the people who made NYC buildings. Unbelievable. Mmmm… and the shortly-about-to-be-mentioned Kurt Vonnegut.
Where did this adoration for Jockey's come from?
Jockeys to me, are like the homely girl of sportsmen. The chicks don't really get into them unless they have no prejudice against short
men,
and no guy grows up wanting to be a short sportsman – no
matter how rockin'. I relate to them. They get shit from all over
the place. yet they are so brave and smart and have minds that are
so quick and all about pacing. I actually see a lot of themselves
in me.What are some other subjects of interest and who or what would you most want to shoot?
I love shooting the buildings of NYC like they are people, trying to get personality portraits that noone has ever tried for.
How do you motivate a subject, if at all...how do you know that the shot is right for you?
The buildings are hard to motivate. I have to warm them up a lot there is a certain sort of compositional effect that I'm after, a sort of two dimensional 3-Dness that I'm after, like if you stamped the image out and that's the shit. Actually, motivating a subject… I’m not sure I’m into that part of it at all. The subject is on their own as far as motivation goes and I just shoot what comes to me from them.
Are you one of those people who
carries a camera at all times or is your photography a planned adventure?Well, I usually have my camera with me, but I don't really like to feel like I have to be ready to shoot all the time, I feel pressured to... and I struggle with that. I have a lot of internal pressures about everything I do. To me a camera is so much like a gun… it’s a language, a weapon… it’s so many different things to me, so I have a lot of conflicting things I work through emotionally with my camera. I hate the idea of being someone who has to take their camera everywhere – that’s really irrational, but I do and I’m trying to overcome it.
What moves you about other photographers?
Every photographer that I am attracted to sees themselves in the subject without exception. Every shot is like a self portrait, no matter what they shoot, it’s absolutely unavoidable. It’s like the results of an experiment having to do with the personal psychology of the photographer. I like reading other people’s minds.
Where would you like to see your photos go?
My pictures have already gone places that nothing I've ever done has gone because of Flickr. I want to do books, I shot a movie... I’m working on something right now I’m too scared to even talk about…
You have a photo of the legendary author, Kurt Vonnegut...please explain how this came to be....
That was one of the times, one of the first times I felt like oh I should take the camera out with me even though I don't see anything happening if I do... it was a conscious decision to take it out that day... I've seen him in the neighborhood over the years - there was this really great late afternoon light on parts of him. I was with a friend who was too shy to tell me to go for it, but I'd walked past and then was like well, I'm really gonna not like it if I don't at least try, and the jockey photography had given me more courage to do such things.
It has the shortest story of all my pictures. I asked him “Mr. Vonnegut, can I take a picture of you?” and he said “What is it going to be used for?” and I didn’t know what to say, but then he was like “oh okay,” and he just sat there just like that... letting me do it.
Do you feel you are making statements with your photography or
is there a centralized theme within them...if so what is it you are
saying?I think of myself as a sharpshooter sort of a sniper who has found a way to deal with my target nature. I wanted to be a painter, but painting is all about control, and that just has always gone against my nature. I like grabbing something out of the ether.
How do you feel the elements of New York contribute to your shots as opposed to elsewhere...do you like photographing in different places?
New York City is a rock star. Like you never really get tired of seeing shots of Madonna or Bob Dylan... I don’t anyway.
That’s how New York City is to me. I SUPPOSE I could be tempted to shoot other places, it would feel strange though, like I’m cheating on it – just like in the ads you see now in the subway. What does the future hold for LensJockey? Big fucking secret. Something only I could pull off I think. aI encourage of you who enjoy photography to go take a look at Holly Van Voast's other photos. They are truly nice pieces of work and are guaranteed to make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
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