Rick Bogacz's primary goal with photography is to evoke a sense of calm and tranquillity in an otherwise fractured and divisive world. Born and raised in Toronto, Rick now lives on the shores of Lake Vernon near the town of Huntsville, Ontario. Still life for him is a journey to create some sense of serenity through the quiet observation of the curves, tones and subtle colors of simple objects placed within negative space that contributes in an equal way to the composition and totality of the finished piece. We interviewed Rick to learn more about his practice, inspirations, and what he is working on today.
What does your creative day look like, and what inspires you to make art?
The creative day can vary depending on what I plan to shoot whether it’s a landscape, still life or perhaps a portrait. With still life photography, I will often first look at the work of other artists for inspiration. It’s then a matter of finding common household materials and beginning to set them up in an interesting composition, which happens before the lights and cameras are even set up. When I find a setup that works, I will get out the camera and set up the studio lights.
My setup is very simple. I have a softbox with a grid that acts as the main light source, a white foamcore board which serves as a reflector and a small en- table lamp with a dimmable soft bulb that lights the background. Test shots are made and downloaded to my laptop to check the exposure and lighting to see if they meet my expectations. I will often find that the images I make at the end of a session are the ones that I am most satisfied. That’s due to the fact that I start to experiment with a setup that is often totally different from what I originally had in mind. But as always, a lot of work ends up on the cutting room floor, perhaps more than I would like.
I am not sure I am inspired to make art as much as driven. I can be my own worst critic, and when I see something that has come out of the camera, I always think about how it can be improved. I keep searching for those images that spark some sort of emotional response, not only from the viewer, but from myself. I have heard the words “tranquil”, “serene”, “peaceful”, and “moody” to describe my work so those descriptors are what I continue to pursue.
Tell us more about your art studio.
For the still life photography, I work in a very small space in a basement room at our home on Lake Vernon near Huntsville, Ontario. The setup is temporary, and lights, subject matter, reflectors, etc. all come down when I am finished with a particular project. I then retire to my office where I work on a laptop loaded up with Photoshop and Lightroom to do postproduction on my images. For landscapes, the outdoors becomes my studio. Whether it’s in a farm field or next to a waterfall, or in a forest, the environment I am in at the time is where I do my work.
How did you get interested in your medium?
My father was a draftsman by trade, but he loved to sketch and paint in his spare time. I took that up, but was always becoming frustrated by the results. In the mid-to-late 70s, I picked up my first camera and was immediately hooked. I distinctly remember the first photograph that drove me towards the medium. It was an orange; I was holding it in my hand an it was lit quite dramatically by a desk lamp. When I got the images back from the printer, the orange had amazing tones and textures. From then on, it was the camera that would become my main creative tool.
Describe your style in one sentence!
Minimalist with only the essentials, driving the goal of creating a sense of harmony and serenity.
Has your style changed over time?
In the early-to- mid 90s, I did a lot of street photography in black and white, inspired by the works of James Nachtwey, Mary Ellen Mark and Dianne Arbus. Prior to the pandemic, our family travelled to Marfa, Texas, where we saw the minimalist works of Donald Judd. I was immediately blown away by the relationship of his works to the stark environment of the buildings at his foundation. I wanted to emulate that type of genre in my photography and reduce unnecessary clutter.
During the pandemic, one thing I found I could do, without being around anyone, was landscape photography. And I chose long exposures as I was drawn to how the technique could eliminate unnecessary elements. I found, for example, that the large expanse of water that is Lake Ontario made for a fantastic minimalist subject.
After seeing an exhibition of Robert Mapplethorpe’s work in Toronto, I was intrigued by his still life work, particularly the Calla Lilies. I started to delve into that subject matter. We had just moved to Lake Vernon, near Huntsville, and the winter was extremely cold. Working in the studio on still photography certainly offered a sense of relief from those long days.
What are your main artistic tools?
I try to travel light. I have a Canon 90D camera with a 16-28 wide-angle zoom lens and a 28-75 zoom. I use 10 and 15-stop neutral density filters for long exposure work. Ninety percent of what I shoot is taken on a tripod with a cable release to increase detail and reduce noise.
Do you experience creativity blocks, and how do you stay positive and inspired?
Absolutely, but I try to push through by looking at the works of other artists with the hopes of drawing inspiration from them. There’s a lot wrong with social media, but the ability to quickly find images that can help you get out of a slump makes it invaluable. Also, I think the trick is not to rush too much. Slow down and have a look at your environment. Something will come to you, and it doesn’t need to be complicated. Remember that simpler is always better.
What artists - either contemporary or from history - have had an impact on you and your art practice?
There’s a lot, but right now I am looking at the works of minimalist photographer Michael Kenna and the landscapes of Denis Olivier. As for still life there is, of course, the work of Robert Mapplethorpe and Irving Penn. Canadian painter Christopher Pratt and American Edward Hopper have also offered inspiration in their use of negative space.
What project are you working on right now? What would you like to do next?
I am continuing to work on my still life series and am trying to adopt a more surrealistic bent that includes objects and textures that may not always be normally seen together, but that still offer a unique perspective and an opportunity to interpret the images subjectively.
