A Conversation with the Amazing Doug Chinnery
Image © Doug Chinnery
A Conversation with the Amazing Doug Chinnery
Doug Chinnery needs no introduction. He is an extraordinary Artist and Photographer. He is a Teacher and an Encourager. His passion has inspired many to not only take a photograph, but to see what else it can be. Photography maybe two diminsional, but Doug is not. He is a passionate human being full of life and humor. I have had the privilege of joining him on a few fabulous tours and online classes with his photography company. I am deeply changed by his artful creations. Our friendship and student-teacher relationship spans several years now.
I had the humble opportunity to have a Q & A with him for this newsletter and was excited to ask him about his work, color, travel, and of course favorite tune to sing in the car. I discovered we had a mutual love for music when we were traveling through France. He amused the photo van with a lively playlist. We had a sing off in Nice and I was impressed with his enthusiasm for a classy karaoke moment.
During our exchange, it was exciting to hear from him about his art and where it might be going along with his tremendous online platform Find Your Voice and his future with different mediums.
Image © Doug Chinnery
Image © Doug Chinnery
Sharing with you our conversation below, I could not wait to honor him as my friend and mentor.
L: Where are you from?
D: I was born in London, England, about a million years ago. After emigrating with my parents to Australia when I was just 2 years old (we only stayed a year - apologies Australia), from 3 years old I was raised in the countryside. An area of England called ‘East Anglia’. If you know the paintings of John Constable, I grew up just a few miles from where he painted. But I moved north to Yorkshire when I was 20 to get married and have lived here for most of my life.
L: What is your favourite time of day to create?
D: I am a morning person. My brain shuts down after lunch ;)
L: What motivates you to create?
D: I want to create all the time. It is more a case of having the time to make art - teaching and ‘life’ are usually the obstacles, so creative time is precious.
L: How do you develop an idea from beginning to end?
D: What a difficult question. I guess it is a combination of inspiration from seeing the work of other artists and teasing out threads from what they do and combining them into something of mine, along with a personal reaction to things I see and respond to - colours, shapes, textures, sounds, words, songs. Add in serendipity and those happy accidents and perhaps that is what it is all about. One idea or thought tends to trigger the next and I respond to where that next step leads me - and so on. I don’t really plan or have a vision in mind - it is more about playful exploration and seeing where things take me.
Image © Doug Chinnery
L: Tell me about your recent work and adding in the medium of painting.
D: I have to confess in the last couple of years I have begun to find the medium of photography alone too restrictive creatively. I still love to make images with my camera, but I feel I need to take the images much further than simple infinitely reproduceable digital prints. Immersing myself in painting and collage has exploded my creative world. It has enhanced my understanding and appreciation of colour. I enjoy the freedom of making marks how and where I want rather than my subject dictating to me, as it does so much more in photography. I love the way I can combine my photographs with my art materials to make single, one off artefacts. I find this so satisfying. They are all awful, of course, but the joy is in the doing, in the process. There is so much to learn and I love getting my hands dirty.
L: Do you have a favorite color?
D: I just love colour. But if pushed, I guess I would say orange. I don’t have a colour I don’t like. I can never understand how someone can dislike a colour.
L: What has been your favorite place to travel and how has it inspired your work.
D: I don’t hesitate to say India. I have only been once (and am excited to return in 2025). Rajasthan is the most glorious, exciting, cacophonous, colourful, textured, mind-assaulting experience I have ever had. The people are wonderful. The food is fabulous. The art and craft just stunning. I have never come back from a trip with more images to work on and more ideas to explore. No wonder Howard Hodkin spent his life returning every year.
L: How do you make yourself happy in your art today?
D: Just doing it whenever I can.
L: What are your goals for your future work?
D: To have time to do more.
L: What is your favorite song to sing in the car?
D: ’Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again’ by Bob Dylan. Bob and I have a similar singing style ;) But if you would like to sing along to my ‘Ultimate Driving Playlist - here it is - https://music.apple.com/gb/playlist/ultimate-driving/pl.u-b6LDsyyMm05
In Doug's Words...
"I long ago stopped thinking of myself as a photographer and rather as an abstract artist, using the camera as my principal medium.
What I try to create straddles the edgelands between photography and mixed media abstract expressionism – inspired by painters such as Hodgkin, Feiler, Rae and Ryman. My quest is for visual poetry as I attempt to reflect an emotional response to my subject rather than replication.
In this, I fail more often than I succeed." - Doug Chinnery
All Images are © Doug Chinnery
https://www.baileychinnery.com/
https://www.dougchinnery.com/
He is represented by Smith & Co Galleries, London | New York.
Please contact them for any print enquiries.
Check out the online creative learning and community app Find Your Voice and the
FYV 2024 Summer Exhibition Fragments!
https://www.baileychinnery.com
https://assets.artplacer.com/virtual-exhibitions/?i=15829
Image © Doug Chinnery