J Alex Goss & Alexa Rae West
Andrew M: Hello there.
Alex: Hello
Alex: Do you want us on two computers?
Andrew M: Sure, that might make it easier on the answering too.
Alex: she’s making grilled cheese
Alex: one minute…
Alexa: Im here now
Andrew M: Excellent
Alexa: if the grilled cheese burns I blame you, Andrew
Andrew M: Hahah, I don’t want that to happen.
Alex: no worries, I’m watching it from here.
Andrew M: Alright then, ready?
Alex: Yessir. Sorry for the wait. Traffic was grosss.
Andrew M: Haha, it’s totally fine. Here’s the first, just an intro, then the heavy stuff.
Alex: haha, hit me.
Alex: us
Alexa: thank you
Andrew M: Haha, Can you tell us your names and age?
Alex: John Alexander Goss - Eighteen.
Alexa: Alexa Rae West, 18 years old
Andrew M: Either of your work seems to be very inspired by one another or at least very interconnected. Can you tell us about that?
Alex: I smell burned grilled cheese… Since we’ve been dating, at least one of us had a camera. And then both. And we always seem to when we’re together now. We just document what we do together in a way.
Alex: oh, it’s good burned.
Andrew M: Hah, so I’m not blamed am I?
Alex: I like em with a little black.
Andrew M: Hahah. Is it natural for the both of you to take each other’s photo now?
Alexa: Haha, not really all the time
Alex: She was really against me photographing her for awhile.
Alex: But then she got her diana…
Alex: And it just became an exchange.
Alexa: I had to let him if I was taking his picture all the time
Andrew M: Haha, so an equal exchange?
Alex: Somewhat.
Alex: The first time I made it clear that I wanted to be more than friends was when I asked her to be in a photo.
Alex: http://www.flickr.com/photos/goss_alex/283778…
Andrew M: Wow, I don’t think I’ve ever seen that one. Don’t know why.
Alex: I hide things.
Alexa: it’s a bad habit of his
Andrew M: Hahah, So is that before or after?
Alexa: before
Alex: Before the hurricane too.
Alex: I seem to base most of my important dates off of that…
Alexa: that’s so random, Alex
Andrew M: Natural disasters?
Alexa: We just had it bad with Ike.
Alex: Last September Houston had a pretty bad hurricane. (Ike)
Andrew M: Yeah, we got some of that in Alabama, nothing horrible though.
Here’s another for you both:
Andrew M: Both of you seem to have a penchant for photographing very natural moments with friends, each other, and landscapes; in terms of both composition, mood, and light. Is this something each of you grew into?
Alex: My photography was all over the place before I started dating Alexa. I’m not saying she was the direct cause of its change, but she grounded me. I started to realize that what was true to me was more of a documentary approach to the world then I had been before.
Alex: I think it’s pretty natural to Alexa.
Alex: I have to work at it.
Alexa: Lies, I have no clue what I’m doing
Andrew M: Haha, Both of you have made some very distinct progressions lately. Alex you moved from 6x6 to 6x7, which doesn’t seem to be to big a change, but it really does change the aesthetics of a photo. What are your thoughts on that? Alexa you’ve progressed a lot in terms of style, do you feel like you’re getting closer to where you want to be? Are the both of you content with where you both are?
Alexa: I took photography freshman year but didn’t pick my camera up again till I started dating Goss.
Andrew M: So he got you to really carry it everywhere?
Alexa: Yeah, he pushed me to try it out. I get frustrated easily.
Alex: She’s learned a hell of a lot in a year. I grin like a fool when I see her negs that she gets back from that crazy little great wall.
Alexa: Im glad I got the Great Wall. Looking back now, the diana wasn’t smooth enough for what I wanted.
Andrew M: Yeah, that thing is a find, where did you get it from?
Alexa: Ebay!
Alex: We hunted on ebay for months.
Alexa: China.
Alexa: A man with a smokin’ problem.
Alex: Every camera I’ve bought off ebay smells like an ashtray.
Andrew M: Hahah, mine always smell like leather. Even when there isn’t any on the camera.
Alex: I tried to get her to buy a rolleiflex or even a yashica.
Alex: …But she wanted something different.
Alex: That is kind of creepy.
Alex: I don’t mind the smell of leather so much.
Alexa: Alex is rambling.
Alex: Back to your question.
Andrew M: Most definitely is, wears of after being with my other cameras. Hahah.
Alexa: Alex’s stuff changed during the summer. His black and white was a different feel than his other work.
Alexa: As for me, I don’t really know what my style is. I know what I like and what appeals to me and sometimes it comes out in pictures.
Alex: My brother (Ben Goss) and sister kind of challenged me to start over with Black and White. It was scary. I was in a dark place emotionally at times this summer. Not saying that B&W is automatically emotional, but I had to say some things and I wanted to push myself. The city helped too.
Alex: But when I got home and was back with Alexa, b&w wasn’t enough for me. It didn’t feel right.
Andrew M: So back to color it was.
Alexa: I like Alex’s color stuff more.
Alexa: It fits him
Alex: It’s what our eyes see. It’s truth.
Alex: I think the rectangle is also more truthful.
Andrew M: So you feel black and white is a more dynamic/dramatic version of reality?
Alex: It’s so open to interpretation. It isn’t reality. It’s beautiful and magical and malleable, but right now, it’s not who I am.
Andrew M: Right on.
Andrew M: Alexa your body paintings (for lack of a better term) are bold and complex. Do you have any plans to continue that and how did the idea arise? And how did you get Alex agree as well?
Alex: She’s a doodler.
Alex: But they’re badass.
Andrew M: Very.
Alexa: Haha, well like Alex said, I just doodle a lot. Play around and this and that. I have this weird adoration of the human body- feet and curves and backs, so I think that’s what inspired it.
Alex: She’s a dancer.
Alex: She needs to do another one soon.
Alex: (body painting)
Andrew M: Most definitely, do you have any ideas to continue it with?
Alexa: I’m not allowed to use sharpie anymore and eyeliner smudges so baaaad.
Alexa: I’d love to do something somewhere besides the back
Alexa: like a face or neck or chest
Andrew M: So that last one was sharpie?? So it didn’t come off easy did it?
Alexa: Haha, I’ll let Alex take this.
Alex: I tried to get it off in the shower, but my sheets and pillow were purple the next morning.
Alex: Worth it though.
Andrew M: Ohh man. Definitely.
Alexa: Mama Goss was not pleased.
Alex: She liked it a lot though.
Andrew M: The face, neck, and chest is probably more of a challenge wouldn’t you say?
Alexa: Depends on what I put on it. The areas are curvier. I’d also like to try someone on a female.
Andrew M: Looking forward to the next set either way you go Alexa.
Andrew M: Alex you’re skilled with both portraits of people and objects, is there one you prefer over the other?
Alex: That’s a question I’ve tried to wrestle with. But lose to all three beasts.
Alex: I see importance and beauty in a lot of things…
Alex: Objects can be little people, and people can be very sculptural.
Alex: That’s a crappy answer…
Alex: Oh, and the third I meant was landscape… Misread your question.
Andrew M: So you’d say your strength is recognizing certain qualities in anything?
Alexa: I like Alex’s portraits a lot.
Andrew M: Rather than a certain type of photo or subject I mean
Alex: I guess I’ve always got my eyes open… I don’t think what I see is necessarily better… but important to me.
Alex: My images of people are usually the ones I go back to more often.
Alex: To answer your question.
Andrew M: Right on, and I didn’t want to use the word landscapes as your photos that lack people usually focus on a certain object within it’s surroundings rather than the place as a whole. Would you agree?
Alex: Haha. I think that’s a good point.
Alex: That’s definitely the case with the “landscapes” that turn out well.
Alex: Something crazy’s got to be in there.
Andrew M: Haha
Andrew M: I think it’s definitely a strong point of yours either way.
Andrew M: Alright, running out of questions, so here’s the last one.
Andrew M: What plans lie in the future? Are both of you heading for New York? Or elsewhere?
Alexa: Alex is probably going to NYC, destined for greatest in photography.
Alexa: I am in limbo.
Alex: Alexa and I spent most of this month up there.
Alex: It was good to be there with her. I think she would do great. And she’s applying to Marymount for dance.
Alex: I’m not sure where I’ll end up exactly, but I like New York City a great deal.
Andrew M: It’s definitely a great place for both of those things.
Alex: It would be a good place to go to school.
Alexa: I think I’d miss trees a lot.
Alex: You’re in brooklyn now?
Andrew M: I am. It’s a great place.
Andrew M: And trees… I miss them too.
Alex: Damn we were just there. We shoulda gone to a show.
Alexa: I’m applying to a Long Island school too. Small place, but there will be trees.
Andrew M: Just missed each other.
Alex: I hope we were okay.
Andrew M: Hah, it was great. Pretty epic.
Alex: Hahaha.
Alex: Look forward to it.
Alex: We’re very flattered and honored to be on there.
Andrew M: Glad to have you.
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