JONATHAN CHERRY: What did you want to be growing up?
JAMES ARTHUR ALLEN: I spent my formative years in a suburb in North London not the most inspiring place in the world to be honest. This inevitably led to quite a few fantastical career ambitions as a young man, I would spend many hours day dreaming of being a world famous Monster Truck driver or playing football for my beloved Tottenham Hotspur FC failing that I was convinced I could be a dab hand as a pilot. As it worked out in the end fortunately for me I lacked the aptitude or necessary skills for any of these careers.
JC: Who or what is inspiring you at the moment?
JAA: I very rarely actively try and find new things to inspire me, usually finding new work is more like a happy accident. This could be from twitter, facebook, conversations in the pub or on the phone to friends. The Sochi Project by Rob Hornstra and Grozny Nine Cities by Olga Kravets, Maria Morina, and Oksana Yushko are two bodies of work in an area of the world I am interested in that stand out, I really like the way they have embrassed multimedia and the effect this has on the depth of the work, its also clear that a lot of time and thought has been invested into the narrative. I have also been blown away be the bravery of some photographers and there work covering the recent Ebola breakout, in particular Daniel Berehulak stands out for me, the images are terrifying and it shows the lengths people go to ensure a story is told in an environment and in conditions that are to most unimaginable, I have utmost respect for that.
JC: What are you up to right now?
JAA: Right now I am taking stock of a busy 2014 and preparing myself for 2015. I spent a few weeks travelling around Georgia in the South Caucuses in November researching a new project which was fascinating, In the past I have done a lot of reading about the people, conflicts and political smoke and mirrors that seem to define the country and really needed to get on the ground and speak to as many people as possible. I have been sifting through my images and planning out my return in 2015 to tell some stories that really hit home with me. I also plan to continue my projects closer to home, I have been working with Asylum Seekers and Refugee’s near my home in the South West of England as well as staying on top of my long term work with PTSD.
JC: Have you had mentors along the way?
JAA: I’ve been lucky with mentors, I came to photography quite late and started University when I was 26, this meant I was hungry to speak to as many people as possible, during this time I had Guy Martin as a tutor, he definitely taught me where the bar was in terms of the effort needed to make your work successful. When interning I assisted the hanging of work by San Francisco photographer Bob Gumpert at HOST gallery in London, I loved Bob’s attitude, he immediately struck me as a wise man, his work is testament to that. After finishing my internship I would skype him in the US where he would go over my work, crucially he would brutally deconstruct all my images and narrative so I could see where I was going wrong and right. I have just finished assisting Simon Roberts he really helped me with my development after graduating.
Crucially though I have a close group of friends who I studied with at Falmouth University, the likes of Chris Hoare, Marco Kesseler, Tom Jamieson and others, these people are my contemporaries and most trusted mentors, we all swap work and crit the work we produce, its healthy competition but also a sounding board for the many experiences and tribulations that come with photography, with out them I don’t know if I would of made it this far.
JC: Where are you based right now and how is it shaping you?
JAA: I reside in the city of Bath in South West England with my Wife and Dog, it’s a busy tourist town where to be honest not all that much happens of interest. My immediate environment doesn’t really shape me, I tend to leave photography at the door and pick it up when I go out. This works best for me, my location has nothing to do with making pictures. It’s just where my family and friends live, It’s close to London on the train and has good pubs, it’s where I feel happy.
JC: One piece of advice to photography graduates?
JAA: It may sound cliche but work hard, if you want to be in photography you have to work hard. Work harder than the next guy, if your images don’t stand up to your comtempories then ask yourself why? Then work hard to be better then them. Work hard building your network, know who to trust who not to. Work hard with your research, this you owe to your subject and craft as a matter of respect. Work hard at being brave and taking gambles. Work hard at developing your own voice and style, this is you biggest strength and only comes with hard work, mistakes and dedication. And finally work hard at enjoying your work, your friends and your inevitable adventures.
JC: If all else fails - what is your plan B?
JAA: Haven’t even considered it, Art photography?!
JC: Is it important to you to be a part of a creative community?
JAA: Yes, I think so, if I am with my photographer friends we talk about pictures & swap stories until we either fall asleep or pass out, in fact we make whole trips of it travelling to photo festivals abroad just so we can indulge our passion for photography whilst drinking wine. There is a very good reason for this, Its crucial. I’m fairly sure my wife would divorce me and family disown me if I didn’t have a vent for my obsession, people who aren’t into pictures just don’t get it, its an affliction.
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