Steven’s surrender in the name of art

BY MITCHELL JORDAN

The old adage of suffering for one?s art held true for Steven Papadakis in his latest exhibition, Lightroom Series.
The series of 12 photographs document the lives of Papadakis?s friends who have each experienced different forms of emotion and sorrow.
?No one was beheaded or had their arm chopped off in the process, but they all had their own personal turmoils that I wanted to capture,? he said.
When Lightroom Series opened in Melbourne earlier this year, it consisted of 11 photographs. Returning to his hometown in Sydney, Papadakis began thinking about including himself in the exhibition. He did not imagine what effort this would involve.
?At first I was trying to please everyone so I had to take a step back and make sure I was photographing only for myself,? he said.
?I set up my studio and started gagging myself and thinking of different things I?d been through. I was coughing when I was taking the photo.?
The self-portrait, ?Surrender of Self?, is described by Papadakis as ?dark?, but an accurate reflection of his emotions. The experience proved so interesting that he intends to use himself as the sole subject matter for his next exhibition.
Growing up in a Greek family in the multicultural suburb of Marrickville, Papadakis found an escape through art in his teenage years, eventually prompting him to leave home at an early age for life in the city.
?Art has always been a huge outlet for me, though it also made me a bit of a black sheep at the time,? he said.
His Greek heritage still features prominently in Lightroom Series, which was partly inspired by Greek icons who had been resurrected. ?The photos were influenced by my cultural background,? he admitted.
Completing a visual arts degree at university, Papadakis has worked consistently as a photographer ever since, holding a number of exhibitions throughout Sydney.
Melbourne audiences responded well to Lightroom Series, but Papadakis is interested in the reaction of those from Sydney.
?People in Sydney are more eager to explore different things,? he said. ?We?re very diverse.?

Lightroom Series runs from 21 July to 9 August at Storm Gallery, 2/65-67 Foveaux Street, Surry Hills.