German-born Volker Fleck photographs some of the most beautiful women in the world. For over a decade he has called Los Angeles “home,” freelancing for a variety of companies who hire him with the aim to utilize his intuitive sense of detail and deep appreciation for the visual and artistic aspects of photography.
U.K.-based Oliver Cartwright is a graphic artist with a knack for unleashing traditional methods of illustration onto a digital playground. Commercially, his work is used for advertising, editorials, window installations, and showpieces, providing clients with a sense of exclusivity through originality that is often lacking in today’s tried-and-true landscape.
Through some stroke of serendipity, these two found each other’s work on the internet and began to collaborate. Their awe-inspiring pieces should be put into a time capsule to represent the beautiful brilliance that humans of our era were capable of creating.
Volker and Oliver provided some wonderfully in-depth answers to my many questions.
What is your earliest artistic memory?
Oliver: I remember when I was very young, I used to go with my parents to France a lot and would spend time drawing in the back of the car whilst they were driving around the countryside.
Volker: When I was 4 or 5 – my memory starts there – my dad and my mom always took pictures…of everything! Most of the photos were black and white. Amazing! Still have some of the old 6×6 prints from an old Rolleiflex. Actually, I still have the camera.
Describe your creative process: where you derive inspiration from, the mediums you work in, and how you achieve the desired end result.
Oliver: For my work with Volker, I work very loosely, drawing with Bic pens and markers. For application, coloring, and arranging, I use my scanner and computer. The end result for this work has to look raw. For projects outside my work with Volker, it’s a combination of clean graphic design mixed with illustration and photography. My inspiration comes from natural things for both my drawing and my photography.
Volker: I get my inspiration pretty much from everything and everywhere. I love old photographs and movies, especially old French and Italian films. They have always inspired me tremendously. I am also very spontaneous. I thrive from being in the moment and from creative pressure. Most of the time, being spontaneous and under pressure makes things better than too much planning. Obviously, I always have a vision going in, but how much of an artist would I be if I didn’t continue to develop a concept right up to the last minute…and, for that matter, what really is the last minute?
A recurring admission I hear from artists of all mediums is that it can be difficult to reach a point where they feel the piece is “finished.” Does this ring true for you?
Oliver: I actually used to suffer from this kind of anxiety that the image didn’t look complete, but now I just relax. As my illustrations are abstract, there is never an end point, which is the cool thing. I like that my process is uncapped, so it gives my work more breathing room than something that has to be completed to obtain any understanding.
Volker: I think the problem is time! I can work on a picture for hours and days. I am always tempted to go back because I think I can change something for the better. I think at a certain point, you have to let it go and move on to the next project. Though, I will admit, that is often easier said than done.
Was there one defining moment or epiphany when you knew that this is what you were meant to do with your life…or was it more of a gradual realization that brought you to where you are now?
Oliver: I always knew what I wanted to do with my life from a very young age; however, the older I got, the more I realized that I couldn’t work for anyone! Life is like a waiting room when you have ambition: until you reach it, things up to that point feel like wasted time. Working freelance is my ultimate ambition, so everyday is a great day! You have your ups and downs, but when you achieve something that is selfmade, the rewards are so uplifting! It’s hard to describe. I also handle everything myself. I don’t have an agent, so promoting myself, designing, and accounts are all done by me. I love diving in and out of different aspects of my job, as well as my design ethic. For me, being able to work under limitation and being diverse is key to success!
Volker: A little bit of both. I always loved photography! I have never given up taking pictures. But I did try out all kinds of other things. I realized I was getting more and more frustrated and then noticed that I missed being creative. So, that’s it. Now I take pictures for a living! And no more frustration…well… definitely less!
Many artists find themselves drawn to at least a few different forms of creativity. What other forms of artistic creation do you enjoy?
Oliver: I definitely have a passion for writing about other people’s art or music, which was realized back in my college days doing Film Studies. Also, I want to create an ambient music album in the future that utilizes my artwork to create some sort of multi-dimensional piece of art. It’s something I will do in the future, but for now, I’m happy with my current route.
Volker: I think one of the reasons I like working with Oliver is because I love graphics, Typography, and colors. Those elements have always fascinated me. I love the fact that when my photo is finished, there will be another level of creation on top of it. And Oli has a true sense of what I am thinking and what will be right. We are in sync that way.
How did the two of you meet?
Oliver: I don’t know really how Volker found my work, but we met through email. He asked if I could work with him, as he’d seen my early concepts.
Volker: Funny enough, we have never technically met, although it feels like we have known each other for years! We have only communicated by email so far and have never even talked to each other over the phone. Recently, Oli gave me a statistic that, so far, we have sent each other over two thousand emails. I will be in London in a few weeks and then we will finally meet. I hope it doesn’t ruin a perfectly good relationship!
Why do you like each other’s art?
Oliver: I didn’t really know anything about Volker’s photography ‘til we started collaborating. What is so great about his work is that he evolves with every shoot – unlike so many photographers out there. Technically, his work is fantastic: great compositions, poses and great taste for style! He is just a real artist and you can see that with his work!
Volker: It’s fresh and unlike everything I have ever seen!
Do you ever fall into a creative rut? If so, how do you break out of it?
Oliver: Never! The only thing that slows me down is not having enough work. Also, self-promoting is hard. I find people ignore my emails all the time – it can be really tough sometimes. Another thing: people assume that I’m going to charge a lot for projects, but actually, I’m very reasonable. I have so many ideas…they just need a home.
Volker: Constantly…I am very critical of myself! So, I find that just moving forward and working is the best way of fighting it!
Do you have a great support system…or have you had to overcome adversity from others in order to freely pursue your dream?
Oliver: Yeah, definitely. I mean, I have all my friends and family, which are a huge support. But making my way to where I am now, I’ve had to deal with some real negative assholes! You know, the kind of people that suck all the goodness out of life.
Volker: When I moved from Germany to the US, I literally had to build a whole new set of friendships. I am very fortunate to have found amazing friends here in L.A. who are all very helpful and supportive.
What is the most satisfying aspect of your work?
Oliver: My favorite part of the work is arranging the drawings after it’s all drawn up and scanned in. That’s when the art begins. Arranging from hundreds of different drawings that have a place on the canvas, which is the model.
Volker: To shoot with beautiful girls! I think a woman’s body is such a piece of art in itself. And, if you noticed, I always try to accentuate an element of sexy into those photos. No, really the whole process is satisfying, from creating a picture with all that goes into it and is involved in the development of it, then seeing the finished picture displayed somewhere. To know that I am not the only one who likes it…that’s very satisfying to me.
Where do you find your models? They are all exquisite!
Oliver: Volker?
Volker: Thank you for noticing, I appreciate it! Well, to be honest, I tend to be very picky, but with agencies like Ford Models, Photogenics and Next here in L.A., I am very blessed to have such exquisiteness to choose from. They do have fantastic models. I am also shooting a lot in South America, and there’s no question that Buenos Aires has amazing models. Very unusual and more fashion-type like Flor!
Will you be showcasing your collaboration at an exhibit any time soon?
Oliver: Yes, definitely! We are focused on a print series and art book right now, then we will proceed with an exhibition. We are currently looking for a printer to sort our work.
Volker: I bloody hope so…just spoke with Oli about this the other day that we would like to start a book of our work. We are in the process of selecting pictures to being displayed. No details yet where or when. But yes, most definitely!
Who are you dying to work with?
Oliver: I’m not sure what Volker’s choices are, but if I [got to choose] the top four models for him to shoot, they would be Lily Donaldson, Flor Cortes, Cameron Richardson, and Kristen Stewart. We have already done some pieces with Flor, however, it would be great to do some more work with her.
Volker: That’s an easy one. I would love to work with Gisele Bünchen, Angelina Jolie or Monica Belucci.
Who are some other artists whose work you admire?
Oliver: My best friend Wesley Stanford is a great photographer! I also admire the great Jackson Pollack and the artist Delta.
Volker: Steven Meisel, Ellen von Unwerth, Peter Lindberg and Robert Frank.
What do you do with your time when you are not creating?
Oliver: I like to travel, see friends when I’m not working, and try to see my favorite bands live.
Volker: What other time?
We all have vices. What is your biggest one?
Oliver: I’m a bit too opinionated sometimes.
Volker: Again, I am very critical of myself, and frankly, I can admit that of others as well and I don’t always have a filter when it comes to an opinion.
Pet peeves?
Oliver: I have many! You just have to be like a filter to stay on top. Things that annoy me the most are politicians, narrow-minded people, and the mainstream media.
Volker: How fast time passes, bureaucracy, people who don’t like animals, and people who don’t recycle!
What types of projects are you interested in doing?
Oliver: With my own work, I only approach people that I feel would benefit from my work and allow me to reach my own potential. I just like to work with people that care about creating good content. For instance, I love finding new bands to work with. It’s very exciting and being able to give them a visual direction is very satisfying without big labels interfering. I also want to start doing design for fashion houses, handling their promotion and art direction.
Volker: My passion is fashion! If I could just shoot magazines I’d be the happiest man! I also love shooting with celebrities. I am in the process of setting up some shoots with some high-caliber celebs.
Where can people currently check out your collective and individual projects?
Oliver: My stuff can be viewed at http://www.olivercartwright.com.
Volker: My website is http://www.vvisible.com. Our collective work is displayed on both of our personal sites.
What else would you like to add?
Oliver: I want to say thanks to all the positive minds and all the people that believe in our work – you know who you are!
Volker: Oliver is a fantastic artist. I feel very fortunate to be working with him and I am hoping there is a lot more great collaborating to come. So watch out for our book, it will be fierce!
Author: Britt Warner
