October Issue 06

FRONT
Only in LA
Fr anz Szony
TAKING PHOTOGRAPHY AND FASHION
TO UNEXPECTED PLACES
HOW DO YOU
DEFINE YOURSELF,
PHOTOGRAPHER,
ARTIST, FINE-ART
PHOTOGRAPHER,
TABLEAU-IST?
I have a difficult time labeling what it
is I do, can I say yes to all of the above?
I’d like to identify simply as an “artist”
although I know this word has become
somewhat vague... especially in a city like
Los Angeles. Ultimately I’m a storyteller,
and use photography to illustrate. I
studied illustration before becoming
a photographer, so I still calculate my
photography work as if it was being
illustrated.
YOUR SELF PORTRAIT (PICTURED)
DRAWS INSPIRATION FROM VIKTOR
+ROLF, TELL US WHAT INSPIRED YOU...
Viktor and Ralph are incredible designers - I’ve
admired them for years for their striking silhouettes
and concepts. They recently created an instagram
contest which asked participants to draw inspiration
from their current collection ( structural frame/
canvas dresses that can hang on the wall when
not being worn). I took inspiration from this as
well as past seasons, and put my own spin on
it. What I especially love that Viktor and Ralp’s
designs speak as strong from far as they do close.
They’re so bold and architectural that the viewer
doesn’t lose details even if seen from a distance.
I used an old frame encrusted with Swarovski
crystal and a piece of red nylon. Those two
ingredients made it quite easy to be avant guard.
32 The LA FASHION MAGAZINE
CAN YOU SPEAK ABOUT
YOUR OTHER PROJECTS?
DISNEY, ETC.
I’ve spent the last couple
months working on a
few personal pieces. I’m
currently finishing a piece of
art entitled “Worlds Apart”
with the beautiful Shaun
Ross as the main figure. I’ve
also been proposing ideas
to Disney and have met with
several heads of their fine art
department. I’ve long been
inspired by Disney, as well as
Marc Davis, who was one of
the brilliant conceptualizer
for Disneyland. He had an
uncanny approach to humor
and glamour, something I
truly admire. Should I get the
honor of working with Disney,
I will create interpretations
of some of my favorite
visuals and characters.
FASHION CLEARLY HAS A ROLE IN
YOUR VISION, WHAT ARE YOUR
THOUGHTS ON FASHION THESE DAYS?
Fashion and costuming play a huge
part in the work I create, as well as my
personal life. I love clothing. We get these
wonderful physical bodies on this Earth
to express ourselves with... and fashion
allows us to treat our physical identity as
something transient and ever-evolving. I’m
happy to see that fashion is becoming less
about trends and gender “norms”. They’ve
always been a ridiculous concept for me...
especially in clothing, so I’m happy to see
WILL YOU BE MOVING INTO FILM
ANY TIME IN THE FUTURE?
I’ve done several small art films, mostly they are
heightened looks at the making of my pieces
of art. I would absolutely love to translate my
photography into the realm of music video or
feature film. That being said, I still love the
challenge of creating a full story with high detail
into one singular photograph. When a viewer can
get lost in one of my photographs the same way
they would in a film, that is what I strive to create.