Martin Lau is an artist working primarily in photography. He has also worked in film, sculpture and assemblage. I met him at the Total Transparency show at the NO:ID gallery in London.

The NO:ID gallery is a cool place to visit. The Total Transparency Show as well as featuring artists, had bands playing downstairs in the basement. It also gave Martin the opportunity to display his underpants.

In terms of the artistic preparation, the process of going over your own material tends to throw new perspectives upon it, which is exciting, as long as that new perspective isn’t along the lines of “what was I thinking?”

[Show as slideshow]

Martin Lau at the NO:ID Gallery

Total Transparency Show, NO:ID Gallery

Total Transparency Show, NO:ID Gallery

Total Transparency Show, NO:ID Gallery

How has your work changed over time? Has there been a shift in ideas?
Up until this past year, my focus was mainly on narrative film. I’ve also had sculpture and assemblage pieces exhibited. My photography throughout my entire life has often featured man-made artefacts or landscapes with man-made elements to them. The industrial world is something I am drawn to again and again.

More recently I have been formulating more ideas involving people, and want to bring in some of the surreal/hyper-real elements of my film work to my photography. At the core, however, I am trying to convey subjective experiences, whatever medium they might be in.

How do you feel about exhibiting your work and how do you prepare yourself for it?
I want as many people as possible to see my work. For me, the whole point of doing it in the first place is to communicate with and strike a chord with others. The paradox is of course that you have to make your art “for yourself” in order to achieve this.

Preparation for a solo show on the practical side involves a lot of stress and problem-solving. In terms of the artistic preparation, the process of going over your own material tends to throw new perspectives upon it, which is exciting, as long as that new perspective isn’t along the lines of “what was I thinking?”

Have you exhibited your work regularly?
In the last year, in other words since I entered the world of “fine art”, I have had two solo shows and been featured in two group shows. I would like to do more.

If so, do you sell any of your work? How do you feel about selling your work?
My work is for sale, and I’m more than happy for wealthy patrons to take me under their wing! However, as of yet I am still waiting for that mysterious benefactor to appear.

How do you promote your work? Do you think you could do more?
I have a website which acts as a portal to the various works I do. Facebook has been the main way that I have publicised my shows. I think that one single person has come to one of my shows as a result of a printed flyer. I’ve had a few interviews online and in the press. I’ve been watching lots of documentaries about Richard Branson lately, so I definitely feel I could do more.

Tell us about a project that you worked on that you felt was successful.
That question sends me into an existential tailspin! Financial success would be great, as would lots of people seeing the work, but in terms of artistic success, see below.

How has the work of an artist you admire influenced what you do?
Art influences me in that when I am moved by someone else’s work, it strikes a chord in me. It’s as if I am experiencing the world through their perspective. This motivates me to produce something born from my own experiences that I deem worthy and will resonate with someone else. One measure of “success”, therefore, could be that the art work has a sufficiently profound effect on at least someone, i.e. that the subjective experience conveyed is beyond “oh, that looks nice”, and has the capacity to move.

In terms of technique, I wouldn’t be overly hesitant to use a method that someone else had used if it served my own artistic ends. As an example, photographer Sophie Calle and comedian Dave Gorman have created experiences in their own lives specifically for art projects, and while this is something that I had experimented with years ago, seeing how well their work has turned out does inspire me to revisit this territory.

What materials do you use and why?
I photograph and film on digital cameras, as it’s cheap and fast. Other materials I’ve used include astroturf and underpants.

What materials would you like to learn to use and why?
Generally speaking, I’ll learn or apply a skill in order to realise specific art works. My first piece that was exhibited was a sculpture. It also happened to be the first sculpture I’d ever made, so I had to work out how to put bits of wood together to make my idea come to life, no mean feat if you ever saw my attempts at woodwork in school. As I’m now coming up with ideas for staged photographs, I will look into how to best realise that. Of course, once I have acquired some knowledge in an area it opens up future possibilities, but on the whole I don’t learn skills speculatively, but for a specific prupose. While I do believe in high technical standards, the craft is there to serve the art, not the other way round. Comic artist James Kochalka summed it up very well, I thought, when he said that “craft is the enemy”.

When did you last go to an art exhibition? What was it and why did you go?
I went to see Jason Gibilaro’s Meltdown exhibition at the Royal Commonwealth Club in London a couple of weeks ago. He’s a super chap, and I wanted to check out his work. Sadly I missed the swanky opening, but being there at an off-peak time gave me the chance to drift round the gallery and take it all in at a leisurely pace.

Usually I try to check out a few shows a week, to see what’s out there and to get the old brain juices flowing. And just occasionally, I might see something that changes my life. But you can’t force these things.

Anything else to add?
Three words: Buy My Book.

You can see more of Martin’s work at martinlau.net

Copyright
All images on this post are copyright Diane Ashmore.

Wanted: Fine Artists
Calling all artists. Want to showcase and promote your art and share your experiences with the world? It is totally free to do so. Drop me a line at talk[at]dianeashmore[dot]com or leave a comment below.