All about the body and all about Arnoldas Kubilius. Exclusive interview with him about his recently published book, (H)OMBRES.
Could we start with some background information about you?
I was born in Soviet Lithuania and am currently based in Luxembourg. As a kid and teen I felt underentertained and photography felt like a fun way to play with reality and interact with others. Last month, I published my first photo book called (H)OMBRES (https://hombresbook.myshopify.com/). The title fuses the Spanish word “hombres” meaning men with the French word for shadows, “ombres”.
Do you remember the first picture you ever took?
Definitely not a selfie!
How did you come up with the idea to publish a book?
Around 2 years ago, I felt like I needed to create a way for my work to be experienced in an offline setting. Online experience is very sporadic and chaotic while exhibitions only get seen by a limited number of people in a restricted time slot. A book provides a way to experience photography in an intimate, personal and coherent way. A book guides the eye, excites the fingers, even triggers the nose. It is a tangible object that one can revisit, it becomes part of your home, part of you.
On (H)ombres you worked with Connie Imboden and Jake Noakes. How did they participate in the preparation of the book?
Connie Imboden (https://connieimboden.com) is an American photographer who works with human flesh to create timeless, metaphorical and multi-layered imagery. I met Connie a few years ago in Norway. When the idea to publish my book first came up, after some hesitation, I asked her if she could contribute a text for it and she immediately said yes. I am endlessly indebted for her beautiful essay.
Jake Noakes (https://jakenoakes.com/) is the designer of (H)OMBRES. He is an artistically sensitive and highly creative man with a great passion for photo books. He contributed to every single element of the creative and technical process. A magician, really.
The printing company BOOXS (https://www.booxs.nl), located in the Netherlands, did an excellent job with printing and binding.
If there was, what was the greatest difficulty in making the book?
Making a book involves millions of challenges: researching the process and materials, editing and sequencing the works, finding the right collaborators, etc. One essential yet difficult task for me is building distance from my work, seeing it without emotional attachment and eventually killing my darlings, when necessary. It took me over a year from starting to work on the concept to sampling and choosing the final materials. The pandemic also caused some hiccups and uncertainty, for example, some paper factories closed down for weeks.
Very clear you love water and sometimes you go under it. What is the biggest difficulty with underwater photography? (if there is any..)
Staying warm!
You often work with the same models. How do they inspire you/your works?
In recent years, I tend to work with the same people because they know my approach and have the needed stamina and trust, for which I am immensely grateful.
What (else) inspires you?
Friends, art, animals, travels…
Which is your favorite body part and why?
I am mainly excited when I see a body in ways I hadn’t seen it before and can share this fascination through my photography. Any unusual marks, lines, wrinkles, scars, hairs or shades are captivating as well.
Is there a personal connection between you and what you are hoping to achieve through your images/your book?
Each of my photos is personal. It’s basically my interpretation of reality and my attempt at sharing how I experience it.
Your photography often seems to me very dreamy. What did you dream about last time?
I was looking inside a coffin made of mirrors. You don’t want to know the rest.
Aside from photography, what are your hobbies/passions?
Taking care of my cats, fishes and chickens, travelling (when there’s no pandemic), visiting exhibitions, watching dance performances, movies…
What is your next to do now?
Organising three exhibitions at the end of this year.
Find more Arno: @arnooophoto / cargocollective.com/arnoldaskubilius
Order his book, (H)OMBRES here: hombresbook.myshopify.com
You can find another story by Arno on Pineapple if you click here.
