Cool Hunting

The recent show at Clark Oshin Gallery in L.A. featured photographer Hugh Kretschmer's knack for creating fanciful, surreal images with graphic mastery. In an interview with Feature Shoot he discusses his influences and goals, as well as the changing landscape of photography.

Thanks to an art-inclined family and a passion for twentieth century painting and sculpture, Kretschmer's artistic development began young. He describes his current work as "an amalgamation of different influences from many years of absorbing." This rich sea of inspiration mirrors Kretschmer’s method, in which he looks for projects that "will bring me the most creative satisfaction. It is best if it also gets me out of my comfort zone and has me trying things that I have not done: build a prop in a way that is untried or solve a visual problem by a technique that I have not used before. I may sweat and I may fail. But at the end of the day, I can at least say I tried."

Kretschmer shaped the exhibition through a close collaboration with Nan Oshin and Kathleen Clark, the founders, creating a full showcase of his work. "The selections were really based on my heart of hearts and the projects that will always have a place there. There are some real favorites from ten years ago that I look at today and I still say to myself, 'That was a great day.'"

As he continues to evolve, Kretschmer keeps one eye on the world of photography, studying ways he can become a better artist. Says Kretschmer, "Growth always has its pains." But, he adds, "I think this, too, will be one of those times and, hopefully, bring more creativity and innovation."

Read the full interview at Feature Shoot.