Design By Purpose
By any standards, the Moroccan coast is a stunning lay of land; however, when captured through the lens of Johnny Knapp, the coast visually exudes a life of its own. Knapp's photos seem to portray the essence of coastal beauty. The candidness of his photographs gives you a glimpse of Knapp's keen intuition as an artist.
Knapp’s newest project, Design by Purpose, is a dare, really. A challenge: let the compositions of found objects allure the mind.
Knapp's raw connection with his subject-material is drawn by years of accumulating information on the surf swells, combined with his deep love and understanding of the beautiful Moroccan culture. Knapp has an uncanny dedication to "make sense” of the world around him, which is a total-sum of his project.
From researching intensely beforehand about the planets and their position in the months of January/December (the planets and moon dictate the sea and what is coming about surfing wise), to charting a course of various beach towns about the coastline, the photos portray a seasoned wanderer's perspective.
The stills taken in this series are of objects that are familiar to most: a chair, a house, a boat. Imagine approaching an object, and capturing the spirit of what that object would say, could it talk; what is its “story”? What does the object resonate?
“It is an interpretation and dialogue I am having between myself and these objects I am encountering,” Knapp explains further. “It’s a wonderment I have for these items. Just in awe about how many times they must have been repaired, reused or re-purposed in their lifetimes. The markings, scratches, discoloration, and faded tones all tell a story in the same fashion as how archaeologists would decipher and decode ancient ruins.”
The worlds Knapp creates in his pictures is as unintentional as it is intentional. On the way he shoots, he says, “It has to tick a few boxes within the narrative I've created in my head and is in the thread of the story that I have woven. If it sits in this realm the last and probably most important element to make it come to life is some good light hitting it.”
Taking the time to try and decipher what exactly inspired the shot of an older man in front of a motorcycle, Knapp alludes to the aesthetics of the picture as a whole compared to just the forefront model. “The photo of the older man and the water, his motorcycle more caught my eye than he did. He just happened to be in front of it and obliged to be in the photo. But if you look closely at the handlebars, the headlight, the gas tank, seat, and basket to me that is the real story and the one I set out to capture and tell.”
In Design by Purpose the resources are the models. An expressed appreciation of awareness to our very-life around us—regardless of our settings—rings true. Knapp agrees to the notion that though traveling can fuel your art, you have what it takes already within. With this series under his belt, the artist leaves us with parting advice.
“Get imaginative and make a game out of it. Try and find triggers within you that make you reactive to your surroundings. Take a different route home or if you see light bouncing off objects and walls, go follow that and see what unfolds. Once that happens, just capture it for posterity of the legacy of the moment. It’s all about going through life with an open mind and open heart.”
