Do you have a primary focus or interest at the moment?
Thom: I tend to revolve around humans and what we do, what we think and the world around us, life maybe. I find human activity very interesting.
Do you or how do you feel technology has influenced your practice?
Thom: I don’t know, I think the word technology is by the bias, whatever surrounds you at the time, whether or not something is viewed as electronic or high tech or whatever, so yeah, very effective, because you work with the things that surround you I suppose. So whilst film might not be viewed as high technology, it was at the time so I suppose if you mean am I affected by the things, the way photography is currently moving, then I would say I am affected by it. Because it’s another slightly skewed way of working. I’m still working with the ideas that maybe if I had existed some time ago… maybe that’s too deep, that takes some thinking. I am affected by it.
Where do you feel photography is headed?
Thom: I think it’s moving away from the traditions, which isn’t necessarily a good or a bad thing, it’s just a change. Yeah it’s definitely changing. Like I said, I have nothing against digital, because there is the whole argument with digital manipulation being a bad thing and so it depends in which way, what end result those photographs are destined for. If they’re in the newspaper where they’re meant to be factual which maybe a photograph can’t be, but anyway sif they’re meant to reflect reality, if they’ve been heavily manipulated to mislead people, well of course there are big questions about that, but if it’s in the art world, why should photography be restrained by supposed reality which a photograph can’t capture anyway. Cause painting and drawing it’s all from the artist’s perception and mind whereas photography is, has to supposedly adhere to realism why can’t it be just as free, a digital photograph can be completely created on a computer, why should we be restrained?
(Thomas Jenkins interview. 2009. Off Mess, Netherlands)
