While senior Karl Bayek focuses on his Graphic Design major, his photography deserves attention in its own right. Bayek’s photography show, titled “Identities”, opens May 1 in the Student Apartment Kiosks.
The Clock: How did you first get into photography?
Karl Bayek: I’ve been doing photography for about two years now. It’s actually a requirement for my major, but I took a liking to it after Photo I. Photo I is the only photo class that’s required. I took a liking to it, and I continued. I’m in my third semester now, which is Independent Study. So I formulated my own curriculum based on an idea that I had, and I researched specific artists. One of them is Cindy Sherman, who explores different stereotypical roles of women. I did a twist on that, I’m exploring different masculine roles.
Clock: Do you have a self-designed minor in Photography?
KB: Not technically, but it’s something that I can use in my major, in terms of my career as a designer. It’s something I’ll always keep as a hobby. It satisfies things for me artistically that design doesn’t quite do. It’s more of a hands on, literal approach to things, more of a direct experience for the viewer to enjoy. They don’t have to be a connoisseur in design; they don’t have to know all the techniques, because design can sometimes be esoteric. Really good design is basically unnoticed, there’s no flaws in it, it’s visually correct. I think photographs can communicate ideas to more of a range of an audience. They can communicate emotions, thoughts, a direct and complete communication.
Clock: Where did you get the idea for the twist on Cindy Sherman’s work?
KB: Actually, the semester before that in Photo II I had focused on architecture, and I did a whole series, the whole semester, focusing on architecture. It was really intellectual, mathematical, and geometrical. I wanted to leap to the opposite end of the spectrum, which is dealing with basically myself, with human form, and with human emotion. So, this is the antithesis of what I had done before that.
Clock: What process did you go through to start this project?
KB: I formulated the assignment… you have to submit a proposal for Independent Study. So I submitted the proposal and after that I went through and jotted down anything that came to mind in terms of male figures. Of course, the first one that came to mind was Jesus. From there, a long list of personalities. Then I began to collect items that went along with them and then I worked it out. I filled out an order of things, because I started with a long beard at the beginning of the semester, so I kind of worked around that to utilize the facial hair in terms of the characters as well as I could. I did the ones that I wanted to utilize the facial hair for early, and then after I shaved the beard off I did the ones that were more suitable for a clean-shaven guy.
Clock: So all of the photographs in the exhibit are of you?
KB: They’re all of me. Basically, you could consider them self-portraits. They’re all exaggerated personality traits. Everybody has different sides to themselves. They have a wild side, they have a reserved side, and they have maybe a religious side. Those different aspects have been really exaggerated to the point where I’ve chosen stereotypes. As the bad boy, I’ve chosen a biker, as the hard-nosed typical bad boy. For the creative kind of reserved artistic type I chose a jazz musician. For kind of the sacrificial, lover of all, generous type I chose the most generous one of all, Jesus. I examined these personality traits of myself while taking on these different characters. Originally it started that I was just going to explore the different characters. I was just going to physically dress up and it didn’t involve a whole lot more than that in the beginning. But I began to see similarities between the characters and myself, which were exaggerated in terms of the characters. All of the characters in some way relate to myself.
Clock: Would you say that you have learned more about yourself through this project?
KB: Very much so. Like I said, it’s been an exploration of myself as well as these different personalities. The way that people can perceive you through the superficial qualities that you portray, and then the way that people can observe beyond the superficial. Some people can see into the creative side of someone.
Clock: Did you discover any sides to yourself that you didn’t know existed?
KB: Not necessarily, not that they didn’t exist, but maybe more such an important part of who I was. I’ve realized that there are all these different characters, who make up who I am. There are all these different aspects to myself. I’ve just realized kind of how they can combine to become all one person, and how this one person isn’t this static unchanging thing. A person goes through different changes. They can change based on their environment; based on time, based on the situation they’re in.
Clock: Is there an image, a photo, that speaks to you the most?
KB: Photographically, I think possibly the most could be said through the Christ figure. It’s a very powerful image for a number of reasons. If you’re religious, it’s specifically powerful because you have religious values that you hold sacred based on this man. If you’re not religious, it’s just the ideas of the person that Christ was in general, that I think everyone can relate to themselves, of sacrificing for your brother and being generous. I think that maybe this specific image would be most far reaching.
Clock: What were some challenges you faced?
KB: Well, the process of getting into the characters was challenging in the beginning. I noticed that the aspects of myself that related to the characters would come to the forefront. I guess I’m kind of a character myself, a jokester, kind of an actor without any technical acting ability, but I can take on characters. In the beginning it seemed it was a little difficult to get into character, but after a while I got comfortable with the whole idea, and basically I became the person I was trying to portray. The process of getting into character started out as difficult but it became increasingly easier as I went through the photo shoot and became more comfortable with the idea.
Clock: How did you deal with the challenge of taking photos of yourself?
KB: In the beginning, I had set up a camera on a tripod and just used the self-timer. I had a mirror behind the camera. I’d set myself up with the lights the way I wanted it to be, and I’d run and hit the timer and run back into place and try to set myself up the way I had been. That was kind of trial and error. A lot of them I got lucky on, because the way I did it I focused on an object, and when I ran back into place I wasn’t necessarily in the same place every time. From there on, I realized it was smarter to have a trigger person come in, to make sure that it was focused for me. I would make all the adjustments on the camera; they would make sure I was focused. I’d tell them when to shoot, and they’d shoot it for me. With a few of them, I had my photography teacher help me; she’d shoot the pictures for me while I was in the character.
Clock: What do you see yourself doing with photography in the future, after you graduate?
KB: I think mostly it’s going to be a hobby. It’s a passion that I’ll keep. It can relate to my job depending on what I do as a designer. On some assignments I could direct the photography, on some assignments I could actually take the photography. Mostly it’s going to be for everyday use, capturing moments of my life.