Ellen Rogers is a fashion photographer and filmmaker from London. Aberrant Necropolis, a two-year collection of her photographs, is her first book. We interviewed her about her inspirations and collaborations with partner, Prizme.
‘My boyfriend Prizme and I are like sponges for information, constantly thirsty. We are hopelessly looking for something abstract, vaporous, mostly emotive, and unfinished.
‘In my journey, things have lodged themselves in me, acting like thorns, I pull them out, and I examine them. These thorns are the next ideas, they are usually tantalizing to us in some way… something promising.’
All of your muses are haunting in a lovely way. What certain characteristics do you look for in a muse?
‘I think a muse for me should have a certain attitude. She is willing but chic, not annoying at all. Not too needy, aloof but intelligent, and a little seductive. I’m a cat person, you see.’
‘That’s very kind of you to say. I don’t intend to process why I pick certain images anymore, those images just jump out at me now. I know it probably has a lot to do with texture (whether or not they are worth colouring). I can mostly envisage them before they are finished so I know what level of boldness to look for or not.’
You are an advocate of analogue photography. Please share with us your fascination with film.
‘I’m not great with words and trying to be succinct is my short fall but to try, on an abstract level, I like to gain and lose control all at once. I like to know enough about the medium to control it and know enough too to let it talk and make its own mistakes, mistakes that are organic and earthly. I would imagine that to recreate these purposefully, is a flat outcome. However, I don’t know as I have never really tried.’
‘I like that you chose the word eccentricity. I have not ever met anyone like Prizme (Tobias) or am I ever likely to meet anyone like him. I suppose to sound corny: we are literally other halves to each other, so working together is as natural as being together.
‘We are both anti-socials at best. We met through mutual friends who struggled to get either of us out of our houses to meet other people. So when we met one another it felt like at last we had met someone who understood entirely, our drive and blind determination, to be removed from distractions and work solely on artwork at all costs as though our lives depended on it. It can be intense but it’s imperative for our sanity.’
What (or who) inspires and influences you?
‘Prizme, Bataille, Jung, Rimbald, Maxine (current muse) and many more.’
‘I will be making more films, certainly. I have something very dear to my heart that I wish to work on with a very special muse. Film is something very difficult for me so its challenge draws me closer every day.
‘I also have a hugely exciting and ambitious project coming soon with Prizme. He will be taking a leading role and I will be his director as it were. I think it will be on kickstarter at the end of the year.’
