Artist Spotlight: Alex Kemsley

The emotion in your work could be interpreted in many ways, but “happy place” would not be one of them. Tell us about the emotional aspects of your photos — are they self-portrait as well?
The large majority of my work is self-portraiture. I occasionally use models, family members and friends to model for pieces, but find myself returning to self-portraits whenever possible. This is largely due to the emotional aspect of the work, and I feel more connected with it if the work is self-portraiture.

In some ways, I concur that "happy place" is not an adequate way to describe my work; not because happiness is absent, but because to me it encompasses much more. I always try to portray a person or space in a way that is not considered typically beautiful, because after all, life isn't perfect. The underlying theme of my art is temporality. I feel that everything is relative, inconstant, and life is temporary. Whilst some people would describe this as a morbid concept, and something with which the word "happy" can never be juxtaposed, I think that this incredibly simplistic and timeless understanding is fascinating, and can ultimately be applied to any environment. I suppose, in many ways, the characters in my work have accepted this concept, which is something I feel that many people cannot - or will not - do.