Interview with Richard Simpkin (Richard and Famous)

Interview with Richard Simpkin (Interviewer Mindaugas Kavaliauskas)

From the age of 15, Australian Richard Simpkin has been not happy enough to clip pictures of stars from magazines. Instead, he started picturing himself with celebrities, being with them on the same side of the camera. Now, his project entitled “Richard and Famous”, is an immense collection of images of himself along with the members of world elite. Beyond the personal story and a simple impression that these snaps radiate, there is a continuity, showing the changing faces, twisting fashions of the high society of 1980s, 90s and the first decade of our century. Over more than twenty years of encounters with the rich and famous, over a thousand of images of / with politicians, shooting stars, those of sports courts, pop music stage, fashion runways and those of the Internet gossip, have transformed the genre of self-portraiture into observation of high society. Before it, there was a division between “us and them”. Richard Simpkin made it “me and them”, inviting celebrities for a picture with him, easily forming for snaphots-long-lasting couples with those hard-to-get-to.

M.K. Richard, at the age of 15 you took your first picture of yourself with a star. What was the origin of the idea, or was it a matter of accident? Who was the star and when and how the follow-up happened?

R.S. When I was fifteen Sammy Davis Jr was visiting Sydney Australia, growing up I loved watching old movies & I knew from a young age that celebrities of the past are legends of today, so when Sammy Davis Jr came to town I wanted to meet him. He was doing a TV interview outside where the public could gather around and watch, once the interview had finished I found his waiting limousine and waited for him, when he walked over to his car I asked him for a photo, he had a few bodyguards that told me not to ask him but Sammy was very nice and said that I could have my photo taken with him. Like most kids I was fascinated with celebrities, I used to wait for sports stars to finish their matches and I would get their autographs after the game. In 1989 I found out about a hotel in Sydney called the Sebel Town House, a lot of the international celebrities would stay there, so when someone was in town that I wanted to meet I would go to the hotel and wait for them. In the late 80’s to early 90’s celebrity was very innocent, today it is very different, it is very professional. A lot of ‘fans’ now only collect autographs to sell them and make money, there are still a few collectors but very few.

The follow up happened at the Sebel Town House hotel, whenever a celebrity was in Sydney I would go to the hotel, wait out the front and when the celebrity came outside I would ask for a photo. When I started I was very young, I was 15 but I looked a lot younger so most of the time a celebrity would stop and have their photo taken with me, now that I look older it is not as easy, but it’s all just a game & if you play the game well then you will win!

M.K. Who took that first picture for you (your parents, friends etc)

R.S. My mother took the first photo of me with a celebrity; I was just a kid when I started so my mother would come with me during the first few months. After a while I met a few other collectors, they were all older than me and they used to look after me & help me in meeting celebrities. In the early years I learnt a lot from these other collectors & as time went on I taught myself what to say, how to say it & what to do to get a photo with a celebrity.

M.K. When and how did you decide that it was going to become your lifetime project?

R.S. I decided in the mid 90’s that what I was doing was unique; I was capturing my life in photos but with a twist. I thought that if I could continue to meet and have my photo taken with people that are going to be remembered in history for say; twenty years then I would have a very interesting exhibition.

M.K. Did you have (do you have) siblings, cousins. How do they or your family members, friends regard your career as a “Richard and Famous” self-portrait artist?

R.S. Most of my family and friends think what I do is really interesting, whenever I show them a photo of me with a celebrity they always want me to take them next time with me so they can have their photo taken with a celebrity. Most people are interested in celebrities, thats why celebrity gossip magazines sell so many copies worldwide, instead of looking at celebrities in the magazines I go out and have my photo taken with them, it’s a lot more interesting and makes my life very exciting, I never wanted my life to be boring.

M.K. One of most interesting insights in the continuity of your work is that I see some of the celebrities get repeated in year after year. Kylie, Bono, Nicole... Changes in their faces and appearances are followed by your pictures. There are many of them whom you photographed repeatedly. Who are among those who know you and feel comfortable to meet you for just the next picture, or maybe for more - a cup of tea or so?..

R.S. I was lucky enough as a teenager to have spent a lot of time with rock group INXS, their singer Michael Hutchence was the most charismatic person that I had ever met. In 1990 I left school and waited at INXS’s recording studio, as time passed I became friends with them. Michael was always very kind to me and he used to let me practice my photography on him. Michael & Kylie Minogue were dating in 1990 so I got to spend time with her as well. Celebrities meet so many people everyday that you are just another face in the crowd. You could meet a celebrity ten times over a few years & they would not recognise you. Besides INXS & Kylie Minogue not a lot of celebrities know me, I'm not trying to be friends with any of them I just want to get my photo and go home.

© Richard SIMPKIN Richard and Famous, 1996 m. with Michael Jackson

M.K. Most of pictures you take during the Australia's visits of world celebrities. What celebrities were the easiest and the most difficult to get to? Could the toughest one have been Michael Jackson? Even though, the picture with him looks pretty friendly. What biggest “conspirations” did you go through to be able to get your planned images done?

R.S. Most celebrities don’t mind having their photo taken with you as long as you’re polite and friendly. At the end of the day they are human and sometimes we as humans have bad days, so if a celebrity doesn’t want to have their photo taken with you then there isn’t much you can do about it.

Michael Jackson was in Sydney in 1996 to do some concerts. The hotel was full of Jackson fans twenty four hours a day. On the final day that he was in Sydney I went down to his hotel wearing a casual suit and holding a laptop computer. I walked into the hotel and up to the first floor. Once there I sat down and worked on the computer. After thirty minutes or so one of Michael’s security guards cleared the entire floor, he noticed that I was working on the computer and did not bother me. A few minutes later Jackson walked out of the lifts and over to my direction, where there were a few children waiting with their parents to meet him. Michael happily signed autographs for the children and posed for photos. After he had spent time with the children I casually walked up to him and asked for a photo. Michael simply nodded his head and put out his arm so I could stand next to him.
He walked down the stairs and signed as many autographs that he could for his devoted fans. I remember when I got the film developed I couldn’t stop looking at the photo of Michael & me, I mean Michael Jackson was so famous it was surreal that there I was standing next to him in a photo.

M.K. Celebrities would not be what they are, if they were not exposed to cameras almost permanently during their public appearances. And in some pictures, you seem more relaxed than they are. There must have been ways the project “Richard and Famous” has been changing the lifestyle of Richard Simpkin. Do you feel to have adopted styles, ideas, values of any of your heroes?

R.S. I have always felt more comfortable around celebrities than non celebrities. I have always felt a bit different from other people that I know, I think celebrities are more interesting than other people. When I ask people how they are and what have they been up to they usually say; “nothing much, just work”. When you speak to a celebrity or someone that you admire their life is usually very interesting and I guess in some way or another I never wanted to answer the question; “nothing much, just work”. I have learnt whilst meeting people that I respect and look up to that many of them are very humble & down to earth, I have tried to adapt that way of thinking/living in my life.

M.K. How would you define your project – a quest for ephemeric glory, an eternal collection of faces, a long time research?

R.S. I just wanted to get my photo taken with people that are going to be remembered in history.

M.K. Is there an end to Richard and Famous? Or, what are the plans for the nearest future. Whom are you still dreaming to meet, and get a picture done together? World's strongest man Lithuanian Žydrūnas Savickas is still missing...

R.S. I hope there isn’t an end to Richard & Famous, because of my unique collection of people that will be remembered in history I could stop meeting celebrities today & my collection of photos with me with celebrities will still be interesting, in a hundred years from now when I am no longer on this earth people will still be fascinated with my exhibition. Can you imagine if someone was doing what I have done one hundred years ago, imagine having your photo taken with historical figures of the day, what a fascinating exhibition that would be, my Richard & Famous exhibition is interesting to look at today, tomorrow & in the future. My plan is to have my Richard & Famous exhibition to travel all around the world; the exhibition has no language barriers so it will work from Australia to Lithuania and everywhere in between.

I still would love to meet Elizabeth Taylor, she is the last living true Hollywood star and because I like to be photographed with people that are going to be remembered in history then this photo would be the icing on the cake. It is true Žydrūnas Savickas photo is still missing, maybe one day I will get this photo.

Thanks for bringing "Richard and Famous" to Kaunas Photo festival! It is my pleasure to have the Kaunas Photo Festival as the very first place in the world outside Australia to show "Richard & Famous". I am very disappointed that I could not come out for the exhibition, good luck with everything & please send my love to the people that view my exhibition.

Works of Richard Simpkin from series "Richard and Famous" are exhibited in the main exhibition "Duets and Duels" at National M.K.Čiurlionis Art Museum, M.Žilinskas Art Gallery from September 9 to October 17, 2010.