MPB Meets: Experimental Collage Photographer Luke Saxon

Luke Saxon's work first caught our attention with beautifully composed images of everyday life. They're brimming with colour, light and texture. More recently, however, he's been experimenting with collage to create something new. As usual, there's a deeper dialogue beneath the images. They demand your attention and hold your gaze. In this interview, we hear from Luke Saxon about his work's unique style, humour and reinvention.

"Experimenting with my work to create a story"

MPB: Where do you find your inspiration?

LS: My inspiration comes from everyday life. Something I’ve always felt is important is the idea of piecing things together to create a narrative I can relate to. My style is constantly developing. I enjoy experimenting with my work to create a story.

"Images that fit together almost seamlessly"

MPB: Can you tell us a bit about your process?

LS: When I started to experiment with photo collage, I was going through my archive. I started to see images that fit together, so I began joining them and moving them around using Photoshop. After a lot of trial and error, I found images that fit together almost seamlessly. It was great to see two separate images merge together to create one new image.

"Creating an emotional response in photography and art"

MPB: Colour and the interplay of colour is an important features in your work. Why do you think this is?

LS: I feel that colour plays a huge part in creating an emotional response in photography and art. So I use colour as a way to exaggerate certain things or add humour to something that could be perceived as quite dark.

"A response to the everyday"

MPB: Is there a degree of social commentary to your images?

LS: Yes. I tend to focus on cultural diversity. My work is a response to the everyday, but also responds to growing racial tensions in my hometown. I find colour gives subtle indicators to this theme - without being overly obvious.

"A matter of convenience"

MPB: How important is your choice of camera to your work?

LS: When I first started shooting, I would only shoot on film. Over the years, I’ve switched between using both film and digital cameras. But now I tend to stick to digital, I use a Fujifilm X-T3 and 35mm f/1.4. (See our Fujifilm X-T3 review.) For me, it’s more a matter of convenience. I can visualise my work while I’m shooting and see how different images can fit together.

"Push the boundaries"

MPB: Do you think it’s important to have a style?

LS: I think it’s great to have a recognisable aesthetic, but I also feel it’s important to develop and attempt to push the boundaries of your personal work.

"You have time to develop your style and experiment"

MPB: How useful did you find studying photography at university?

LS: It helped me develop a much more creative way of looking at things. You have time to develop your style and experiment with a lot of different methods of image-making. I also think that reading and writing about photography, and researching photographers, play a crucial part in finding your own personal voice.

"I jump at the chance"

MPB: As you’ve exhibited a few times. What are your thoughts on getting your work printed?

LS: Whether it is for an exhibition or for a photo book, printing your work is a great thing to do. At the moment, a lot of work seems to just be viewed on a computer screen or a phone screen. So when I get the opportunity to print my work, I jump at the chance.

MPB: Where would you like to see your work take you?

LS: At the moment, I don’t really have anything in mind. My ambition is to constantly push myself and develop different bodies of work. I love exhibiting, so I’ll hopefully be able to do some international shows as well as some more local shows.

Read more interviews on the MPB content hub.