What's your name?
Bernie
Why Foureyes? Do you wear glasses or something?
I wear glasses,…..my friends in school always called me ‘foureyes’
Where are you from?
Houston, Texas.
What kind of equipment do you use?
Nikon D-100.
Do you do photography for a living or as a hobby?
Photography is a source of inspiration for my architectural projects. It lets me play with the perception of the outside world: its structures, forms, colors, illusions, and cliches! I'm an architect; I design and build nightclubs and restaurants. My studio is in Houston, and you can see my work at
http://www.arcostudio.com/.
Do you have a favorite photographer? Who?
I like anybody with a "creative edge." Pablo Picasso did some very creative photography work ahead of his time.
What style of photography do you enjoy the most?
I love experimental concepts. I see photographs as very real; they, of course, are nothing of the sort. They contain no more or no less than a painting or a written work of fiction. At their most simplistic, they are a fantasy.
What do you think of the whole notion of "starving artists"?
The notion holds a lot of truth. Sometimes it takes 10-years or longer to see fruit from the seeds you sow. It takes the patience of a cheese maker to be a visionary, a pioneer, or to simply to go the distance with what you passionately believe in. Having determined a goal, we must invest in it with faith and hope, and learn to love to wait. Every day, as we understand more about how the world works, we can massage reality and reinvent ourselves to align with the physical and spiritual principals and truths that govern our lives. Growing as an individual requires periods of soul searching where we are challenged to let go of ideas and even possessions that stand in the way of the future we desire to inhabit.
If there was a way for you to widely circulate your art but no one would know it was yours, would you still do it?
Yes. It is not what an artist does that counts, but what he is. "Stand for something or... you are going to fall for anything!" I think art is not a thing; it is a way!!!
What is the most memorable place you have ever been to?
The Bolivar peninsula in the coast of Texas. I go there all the time. It is a place of amazing beauty and I love doing photography there!!!
What is one thing that makes you happy and one thing that makes you unhappy?
I'm very happy when my creative juices are "flowing." I belive that creativity comes from excitement. The creative power of God inspires awe. I'm filled with reverent wonder as I contemplate it. The lack of inspiration makes me unhappy.
What is the craziest or most interesting dream you've ever had?
Aaaahh, dreams?
Dreamers have mountains they will climb;
There are dreamers who don't believe in time.
Only dreamers have worlds where they can fly far away.
Certain dreamers have kingdoms they will build,
Filled with treasures and dragons to be killed
Only dreamers have wings with which to fly far away.
Some people dream of being rich,
While others dream of being tall,
And there are people who don't dream at all.
Most of the time my life feels like a crazy dream.
What does the color green remind you of?
Green??? Good question! Lately I've become interested in the abstract feelings produced by colors. I believe that color is a medium which can convey the most subtle and complex feelings, and can give the viewer a sense of a particular place and time that goes beyond the visual expression of that place. Green reminds me of the planet earth... nature!
Any last words of advice for everyone?
Well, to you, Friends, I confide my secret:
To be a discoverer you hold close whatever you find, and after a while you decide what it is. Then, secure in where you have been, you turn to the open sea and let go of the secret. Remember that... It's not the journey into space for man, but the space in his head that was first filled with the dream that took him there.
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