The Fear to Fail is An Illusion

Featuring Gerardo Vizmanos Words by Nastasia Khmelnitski

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Gerardo Vizmanos, New York and London based photographer, started his career as a law practitioner. The decision for this dramatic change came through a deep realization of inner passion and drive. His work is a research of the male body, of the body through movement via the discovery of shapes. The body is continually presented as an object of art.

The weaving of arms and legs, the sleek extension of the back muscles, the imprint of the space between each vertebra, and the movement of the neck display a part of the performance art that lingers on in the imagination of the viewer to an extended dance. The lack of emotion is exhibited in full force through the movement of the limbs in the frame. Defying forces of gravitation, pausing time, the emphasis is on the creation of an artistic moment.

Gerardo speaks about his work through a prism of the presentation of the male body. We discuss the challenges social media poses on artists, the paradox in his work, and the need to create distance to evaluate the outcome.

‘The biggest challenge was fear. Fear of the many “ifs” me and my environment were asking at that time, but then I learnt the fear to fail is an illusion.’

Photography

Changing career can be exciting and yet an unknown sphere to pursue. What were some of the main reasons to stop practicing law? 

Curiosity. I never planned to become a photographer, I was following my curiosity to learn photography. One thing brought to the next one until I realized that my job as a lawyer was incompatible with developing my work on photography, and I decided to move to New York to study. 

What was the biggest challenge for you back then? 

The biggest challenge was fear. Fear of the many “ifs” me and my environment were asking at that time, but then I learnt the fear to fail is an illusion. The frustration of an expectation is not a failure, it’s a diversion, and fear of that frustration is not a reason not to try what we really want.

‘Today the bigger challenge is social media dictatorship that is imposing restrictions and morality as religion did before.’

The Male Body

Male models are underrepresented in the fashion industry, although the aesthetics are fascinating with the wide possibilities for fashion designers, brands, and photographers. 

Male models might be underrepresented because the fashion industry is way bigger on females in terms of sales, but probably male models today are less misrepresented than a few years ago. In the last five or seven years, the image of a male in the fashion industry has dramatically changed, giving males freedom they didn’t have before. 

Today males can do almost anything as long as it complies with Instagram rules, of course, there is no trace of that old fashioned rigid gentleman. And this is just the start. I think diversity in male modeling has only started. I’m excited to see what’s next. Today the bigger challenge is social media dictatorship that is imposing restrictions and morality as religion did before. 

One of the main elements you focus on is the male body and the shape that can be created. What were some of the steps for you in developing your passion, to eventually find the specific aesthetic you wanted to photograph?  

There is a paradox in my work. I photograph people who are part of my world, people I meet, either friends or connected to my friends, the world of people I photograph is not my world. On the one hand, there is familiarity with the access I have to people I work with, but on the other hand, there is distance. This combination of familiarity and distance creates questions about what I can do and what I can not. 

Why I do what I do and why I don't do what I don’t do plays an important role in my shootings, and I think my aesthetic is the outcome of that personal mental process. When I’m shooting, I’m always conflicted, but I really enjoy it. I can say I feel very happy when I’m shooting with people I work with. I think that’s why I keep shooting and working because I want to feel that over and over.

‘I think I really objectively see my photos only when they are framed and hang in the place of any collector in the new context with furniture or other works around. That is when the work gets some independence.’

Dance

To continue the conversation about the male body, the shapes and the movement often involve more than one subject while the shape created resembles a contemporary dance. What is your most favorite photo you’ve shot, and what makes it special for you? 

My most favorite photo is the one I will take next. I can’t choose one photo. My relationship to my photos is very different because I’m too involved. I’m part of the image. It’s a dynamic relationship, it changes a lot from time to time. I think I really objectively see my photos only when they are framed and hang in the place of any collector in the new context with furniture or other works around. That is when the work gets some independence, and then it's when I can see just the image within the frame with nothing else, without the edits or the story about why that image happened.

‘How I create my emotions is a mystery to me. I guess the only way to create emotion is by just living, reading, thinking, looking at, and researching.’

The Subject

When working on set, the urge is to create a certain emotion. How do you reach the result, is it a spontaneous moment, a constructed one? Is the emotion a genuine one the subject discovers and shows during the shooting or directed and explained by you to the model? 

It’s a personal emotion not created during the shooting. I made it before. Often I say the more I work before the shooting, the better the shooting is. But this work is not a set process. How I create my emotions is a mystery to me. I guess the only way to create emotion is by just living, reading, thinking, looking at, and researching. Research is very important in any work.

Commercial Work

When working with a client, you have an opportunity to merge your distinct vision with the brand language to approach the set from a distinct perspective. Where does your approach enter the concept? Tell about balancing out those two visual worlds. 

Working with commercial brands changed the game completely. It’s the other direction. Instead of finding something inside to express, it's the brand that provides the direction. In commercial work, I use my personal work as a reference for inspiration because I know whatever photos I will take are going to look like that. Working with brands, understanding their inspirations and message is not for everyone, but when it works, it's a nice balance.

Acro

What did you learn from shooting an ongoing project Acro, researching this topic, posing new questions to finally present the project to the wider audiences? 

I’ve been working with a large number of acrobats. This is still an open project.

Upcoming Projects

What are your plans for this year? What are you working on right now? 

Currently, I’m working on two books. Unfortunately, the current situation with the global emergency caused by the virus is going to force me to delay this. Both books are edited and are in the phase of printing. I hope soon I will launch them.