An interview with James Reid of field of vision blog.
The Field of Vision blog is like a beautifully curated digital cabinet of curiosities where Photography Editor and cultural explorer James Reid documents and shares his discoveries. I asked him to share his vision with me for a few moments...
Who are you?
James Reid, Photography Editor at Wallpaper* magazine and a partner in Field Projects, a creative studio in London.
Where are you?
London.
When did you first start the field of vision blog and why?
July 2009. I see so much fascinating work and don't always get the chance to work with the people creating it. I felt what they were doing deserved to be shown to a wider audience. I also feel there are a lot of unsung, forgotten people whose work has slipped under the radar over the years, so I wanted to remind people about them. Many blogs seem to be either glorified re-hashings of press releases, or forums for people to vent their spleen. I wanted this to be more considered, and a place to showcase work without being too judgemental about it.
Has it changed or developed since then?
It’s remained pretty consistent, but I have got more comfortable with the writing side. That said, I am very aware of my descriptive limitations and have a newfound respect for certain writers.
How would you describe the blog?
A showcase for interesting, unsung, unknown and slightly off-kilter work.
Where do you find content for the blog?
Now that would be telling.
How wide is your field of vision?
Because of the amount of work – art, photography, architecture, design – I am exposed to, it’s perhaps wider than most. But it’s expanding every day and I love finding work that I have never seen or heard of before. Eugene Andolsek, a recent post, is a great case in point. I had never heard of him and then stumbled across one of his drawings tucked away in an exhibition. I am obviously not the first person to discover him, but when I researched him more I was staggered by his work, and his story.
What is unique or interesting about a blog as a space for presentation and communication?
It’s an almost unregulated, personal space where you can hold forth on any subject you like, and (within reason) show anything you like. Blogs allow thousands of people to express themselves and their views in a way that was restricted to a handful of print journalists only a few years ago. They represent a new type of information democracy. It’s a total unknown as to who reads a blog. In fact, when I started it, I had no idea if anyone was reading it at all. I know the content interests me, but it could bore the pants of everyone else.
Do you have a favourite image?
Always changing. But I am very partial to this image [above] by Swiss photographer Joël Tettamanti.
Which blogs do you read?
James Danziger's The Year In Pictures is always informative and interesting. Yorgo Tloupas's blog for Arkitip. An Ambitious Project Collapsing. Kemp Folds.
