Andrew Emond
He believes that sometimes it’s the details that mean the most and well, I agree. Andrew humbly credits his wonderful photo archive of interior spaces to luck pushing and levelheadedness but truly I believe he has an eye for detail and a personal vision.
You are based in Canada. What’s it like there? Are there great interiors to be seen in your country?
I think interesting interiors can be found just about anywhere. Toronto isn't any different in that sense, but it's a place that's growing quickly. The real estate market here is one of the hottest in the world. Properties of all kinds are being bought with the intention of replacing them with something newer, and often bigger. It means there's a steady supply of properties that are either on the verge of being vacant, abandoned, under construction or being prepared for demolition.
What is your process for finding interiors to shoot?
I don't shoot anything with permission. Everything I do happens on the sly so I usually have to be resourceful and pay attention to certain details. Overgrowth and decay are the obvious things to look out for, but sometimes it comes down to how many cobwebs are on a screen door or the amount of mail that's starting to collect on the front porch. Patience and timing are key since windows of opportunity tend to be quite narrow. Knowing how much to push your luck and keeping level-headed all help too, but sometimes it really comes down to dumb luck.
Are you interested in interior design and/or architecture? Is this more a fascination with the unkempt, the quirky and the lost spaces? What do you look for in a post worthy interior? Explain your obsession:
On some level I'm interested in the aesthetic decisions people make, but I'm more interested in seeing what happens to those intentional arrangements when spaces are going through some process of disruption or transition. Sometimes spaces are strange or alluring enough on their own without having to do much heavy-lifting. Other times they require applying my own point of view to (hopefully) create an image that does more than just state facts.
What does the interior of YOUR space look like?
I have a four year old daughter who does a good job of ensuring our place looks as messy as some of the rooms in my photos. I'm by no means an organized person and the clutter in our home is an obvious byproduct of that. If I came across a place that looked similar to mine, I'd probably want to photograph the awkward arrangements of things that don't quite fit together or the half-hearted attempts at creating some semblance of order.
What is the most "stand out" space or interior you've ever been in?
It's hard to choose. Obvious, large interiors of power stations or mega-mansions will always be memorable to some degree. More often than not I'm just as impressed by smaller things, like a rotary phone installed beside a toilet or a cryptic message hand-written on the wall. Sometimes it's the little details that mean the most.
courtesy ANDREW EMOND
interview ASHLEY MUNNS
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