Page 56 - PHOTODOT 2017년 8월호 VOL.45 Jul

Interview with Saul Robbins

How Can I Help_ - An Artful Dialogue - 2012

You began photographing psychotherapists’ offices in 2004. In the subjectivity he expressed during our sessions and hoped to artic-
project Initial Intake, you documented psychotherapist’s chairs and ulate visually how well his office reflected particular aspects of his
belongings without the therapist present. What inspired this proj- personality and his approach to treatment and intervention with
ect? How did you become interested in these private spaces? me. While we did some good work together, maybe I should have
All of my creative projects are motivated by personal experience considered the office décor first. I found it so uninspired and life-
and Initial Intake was inspired by the empty chair and office sur- less, so devoid of vitality, and I couldn’t help but see him reflected
roundings of a particular psychotherapist I was seeing [Upper West in it.
Side 2004 (24904953)]. At some point I became dissatisfied with After photographing several more empty chairs, I could clearly see
the work we were doing, and noticed that his empty chair and that the uninhabited chair and immediate surroundings reflected
office décor reflected some of the observations I had about his something specific about their owners while leaving room for
personality and method of working with me. I began to question viewers to project their own ideas and responses to each place,
how this environment functioned as a signifier for the banality and which makes this series so engaging.

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