BACK TO THE FUTURE

Photographer and floral designer DOAN LY, in conversation with the Dutch Masters, creates an utterly modern language of still life color and composition.

Interview by Contributing Editor Olya Titova

DOAN LY represented by 1718 Paris From: Vietnam.

Based: Brooklyn, New York City

www.apbiodesigns.com

LB: Your floral designs look so futuristic that it reminds me of sweets and desserts. The flowers almost look unreal, but it is on purpose. How do you achieve this color palette? With light or in post-production?  

DL: Ooh, I love the idea of futuristic color!  I hope the future has a lot of colors! I also have a sweet tooth, so this is all sounding very good to me. I use very little post-production in my images, simply because I don’t know how.  I sometimes make some color adjustments, but very minimal. Most of the colors are just achieved with a combination of natural and studio lighting. 

LB: How do you think that the fusion of art photography can contribute to the fashion world? 

DL: I don’t really see a distinction between art and fashion photography, besides the need to sell a product. I look at all the great fashion photographers. Sheila Metzler, Irvin Penn, J.P. Horst have always seemed very artful to me.  

 LB: Your photography sometimes resembles Old Masters paintings. Do you have a formal art education?  

DL: I don’t have a formal background in art history or studio art. I studied English and went to grad school for performance. I think it’s impossible to escape the context of the Old Masters when you are creating or viewing still-life. I definitely am very inspired by the colors and compositions of those paintings. They teach you so much about it. 

LB: Your photographic art seems symbolic. Is there a message? 

DL: I don’t think of a preconceived message when I start my photos.  It’s all very arbitrary, really. The image comes to life in the making, after I gather an assortment of flowers and props that seem fun.  Once I see them on the camera and start to make a composition, then it starts to take shape. Meaning comes from the process. That’s my favorite way of working.

LB: Do you have a particular flower that is your muse?

DL: I started working with flowers because I fell in love with the coral charm peony. I wrote an essay about it in The Plant Magazine. It’s a flower that transforms color as it matures. Quite a little secret she shares. Those peonies are so effortlessly photogenic it feels like cheating. You’ll see them in the vast majority of my photos.