Photographer and friend of OC Thomas Dozol is known for photographing people in their most vulnerable states. He is no stranger to his friend's bathrooms, snapping away as they emerge from a hot shower, or shaving, in the case of one poignant image of MICHAEL STIPE. After seeing Dozol’s show Côtes d’Azur, Japanese menswear designer Ato Mastumoto was so enamored with the work he tracked down the photographer and asked him to do a collaboration. The result is Ato's signature slim-fitting T-shirts and hoodies printed with Dozol’s magnetic, color-blocked works. Despite some Mercury-in-retrograde technical problems we managed to catch up with Thomas, who is currently putting together his first solo show in Berlin.
Shannan Elinor Smith: What are you doing in Berlin?
Thomas Dozol: I live part-time here, part-time in New York these days. This week I’m honing down the idea for my first Berlin solo show, experimenting with new silkscreen ideas, and hopefully I will dance a lot this weekend.
How did the collaboration with Ato Mastumoto begin?
It really came as a surprise. From what I understand, a friend of the designer saw my show, Côtes d’Azur, at French Riviera in London. He loved it and recommended my work to Ato. Ato contacted me through the gallery with a proposal for a collaboration...and it all worked out!
Were you familiar with his designs before?
His line wasn’t sold in New York until Opening Ceremony picked up this collaboration. I’m not that fashion-savvy, so I hadn’t seen his designs. But I really liked what they sent me before we agreed to work together.
Can you talk about the photographs on the T-shirts, are they from a pre-existing series?
It’s really a mix—some pre-existing, some reworked, and some brand new images.
How involved were you with picking the photographs for the shirts?
I had a pretty clear idea of what I wanted. So I presented them with a really tight edit to chose from, and we stuck to that. Since I was mixing works from different series, it was important to me that the final selection was coherent as a whole.
The photos have beautiful color blocking elements, can you talk about the concept behind them and how you created these?
The color blocking started with the photographic series 'All Together Now', after a great Berlin/Marseilles summer. It was my first time in both cities. I got to visit the Berlin lakes and their FKK [Free Body Culture, a nudist movement] section, and then in Marseilles, stayed at Le Corbusier's La Cité Radieuse. I found myself longing for utopian ideals that seemed all but gone at that time. I overlaid black and white nudes that could relate to the early 20th century naturist movement and color blocks of primary colors that referenced Le Corbusier’s buildings. The main difference being that the nudes were faceless and looking as if half-asleep, quite different from the jumping sun-tanned Austrians from those vintage photographs.
I heard you were an actor before you were a photographer. Has your acting informed your work as a photographer?
Yes, I worked on stage for a few years in Paris until I moved to New York. I’d say it influenced the way I look at bodies. On stage you have to be acutely aware of your partner's body language: to make sure you’re in sync, to immediately understand if something is out of sync, or if someone might blank on a line, etc. So my priority when I shoot is the comfort of the model—over
Shannan Elinor Smith: What are you doing in Berlin?
Thomas Dozol: I live part-time here, part-time in New York these days. This week I’m honing down the idea for my first Berlin solo show, experimenting with new silkscreen ideas, and hopefully I will dance a lot this weekend.
How did the collaboration with Ato Mastumoto begin?
It really came as a surprise. From what I understand, a friend of the designer saw my show, Côtes d’Azur, at French Riviera in London. He loved it and recommended my work to Ato. Ato contacted me through the gallery with a proposal for a collaboration...and it all worked out!
Were you familiar with his designs before?
His line wasn’t sold in New York until Opening Ceremony picked up this collaboration. I’m not that fashion-savvy, so I hadn’t seen his designs. But I really liked what they sent me before we agreed to work together.
Can you talk about the photographs on the T-shirts, are they from a pre-existing series?
It’s really a mix—some pre-existing, some reworked, and some brand new images.
How involved were you with picking the photographs for the shirts?
I had a pretty clear idea of what I wanted. So I presented them with a really tight edit to chose from, and we stuck to that. Since I was mixing works from different series, it was important to me that the final selection was coherent as a whole.
The photos have beautiful color blocking elements, can you talk about the concept behind them and how you created these?
The color blocking started with the photographic series 'All Together Now', after a great Berlin/Marseilles summer. It was my first time in both cities. I got to visit the Berlin lakes and their FKK [Free Body Culture, a nudist movement] section, and then in Marseilles, stayed at Le Corbusier's La Cité Radieuse. I found myself longing for utopian ideals that seemed all but gone at that time. I overlaid black and white nudes that could relate to the early 20th century naturist movement and color blocks of primary colors that referenced Le Corbusier’s buildings. The main difference being that the nudes were faceless and looking as if half-asleep, quite different from the jumping sun-tanned Austrians from those vintage photographs.
I heard you were an actor before you were a photographer. Has your acting informed your work as a photographer?
Yes, I worked on stage for a few years in Paris until I moved to New York. I’d say it influenced the way I look at bodies. On stage you have to be acutely aware of your partner's body language: to make sure you’re in sync, to immediately understand if something is out of sync, or if someone might blank on a line, etc. So my priority when I shoot is the comfort of the model—over