© ARTIT & Sid White-Jones.
In February 2025, I was interviewed by the digital arts platform ARTIT for their Spotlight interview series.
In the interview, I shared insights into my creative process, focusing on my fascination with found photographs and how I transform them into new artworks through physical manipulation and large-scale painting. I reflected on the ethical considerations of working with anonymous images and how the meaning of my work can evolve over time.
Excerpt from the interview:
“Have you ever struggled with the ethics of your art—such as who it represents or who it impacts?
It’s something I think about a lot. One of the main reasons I love working with discarded photographs - truly discarded, not just stored away - is the confidence that, without my intervention, they would have ceased to exist. I find them in skips and other abandoned places, which helps me feel assured that I’m not interfering with someone’s personal archive in a way that feels unethical. I wouldn’t have any concerns about just scanning and preserving them, but because my process involves physically tearing and reconstructing the images, I need to trust that I’m working with them in a responsible way, which I think I am. There’s something fascinating about the banality of the photos I find in these places - they tend to be incidental shots, moments caught between important events, or simple mistakes: figures in party clothes with their heads cropped off, vast foreign vistas obscured by rogue fingers, and the tail end of film rolls, forever marked by flame.”
© ARTIT & Sid White-Jones.
“Do you feel a personal connection to your subject matter is essential? How has this connection shaped your work?
Not at all. In fact, the opposite. Having no personal connection to the subject matter allows me to be more objective. This detachment is why I gravitate towards working with found negatives. I do shoot a lot of my own photographs too, but I tend to fixate on achieving a specific outcome, which often leaves me feeling unsatisfied. With found images, the photograph already exists - I don’t know who took it or why - so I can reconfigure it in whatever way feels most natural. Because of the structure of the celluloid and the tools I use to rework them, that journey of decisions can then be traced on the surface of each canvas - every cut and crop remains visible.”
© ARTIT & Sid White-Jones.
© ARTIT & Sid White-Jones.
You can now read the full interview by visiting the ARTIT website here.
About ARTIT:
ARTIT is a digital arts platform with a mission is to create a vibrant, inclusive community where artists can showcase their work and access a range of prizes, awards and visibility opportunities.