It’s a disarmingly beautiful summer day in Beverly Hills. It seems surreal and almost makes me nervous to be sitting (in social distance) at this glamorous rooftop restaurant after being in solitary quarantine for four months in a one-bedroom apartment in humid Philadelphia.
I’m George Alley, an occasional pop musician, a professor of Punk at Temple University, and a contributor for Loverboy Magazine. While I’ve traveled cross-country during the pandemic to help a friend with a shoulder replacement surgery; it also gave me an opportunity to see and interview one of my closest friends, the life of the party (move over Mayhem Miller), Alvaro Masa.
Alvaro is from Granada, Spain but emigrated here over a decade ago, working as a graphic designer and creative; currently a design director for FX networks. He also has developed a large portfolio of photography in the past year including this exclusive photoshoot for Loverboy of Sh’moan Jackson a NYC-based drag queen, performer and fashion industry hair stylist.
Welcome, Alvaro…
Wow, an interview with George Alley for Loverboy Magazine! “Here we are at Terra in Los Angeles, interviewing Alvaro Masa…”
“…About his latest journey An Exploration of Photography which explores themes of drag, and the femme fatales of both Spanish and American 20th century film-noir.”
Depression. Quarantine. Glamour!
When did you decide you wanted to start taking photos?
My background is advertising so I’ve basically worked with photography my whole life but never knew the technicality of it. So it’s something that I’ve always been curious about which I haven’t fully mastered yet. I’m sort of rigging it.
I think the most important part is to have an idea of what you want. Usually my goal is to capture the essence of the subject’s character, then I play around with the elements that can help achieve that.
I’m lucky enough that I also know a lot about the post-production process, so I am able to modify or just remove something I’m not happy with, like a wrinkle on a fabric or the position of a hand. I can merge an arm that I like better from another photo.
Sometimes limitations force you to come up with creative solutions that someone who has mastered all the technical tricks might not even bother with.
Yeah, this is true. I have to say that it’s kind of fun not knowing all those tricks. In this shoot I set myself the assignment to “recreate glamorous noir lighting from ’40s Hollywood.” And then I had to push the envelope and make myself uncomfortable to get there.
What is the feeling you’re portraying with these photos of Sh’moan?
I wanted to capture a glamorous Hollywood actress who just lost her career to someone younger. She is depressed and has started drinking. I wanted to capture all that beauty while digesting all that pain and sophisticated mourning. I was inspired by all those actresses who were considered “Box Office Poison” in 1938 like Joan Crawford, Norma Shearer and Marlene Dietrich.
Marlene Dietrich is the one reference that I kept pulling from because she has so many incredible poses that are just so femme fatale. You can see the anger in her eyes. She poses with the twisted wrist, and cigarette, just crouching on the floor.
I don’t know if this is a topic that is somehow more intimate for me but I also think there’s a slight connection to my Mom too, because she always has those classic movies on in the background.
I like that you are representing your Mom’s interests in this story of isolation and noir! In the past you have referenced Carvaggio, Classical and Neo-classical architecture, but also the bright colors and bold energy of the 1980s. You seem to take these diverse ideas from the past and modernize them in a unique way.
Yeah, I try to. To me, the most influential aesthetics are Greek and Roman sculpture. They have symmetry and glamour, in a way that is classical in its approach to line and shape. But I also like the opposite, the ‘80s, things that are eccentric and tacky and feature that pop of neon. So I try to take all of that and give it my own voice.
There are a lot of current artists that don’t even understand where they’re pulling references from.
Yeah, nowadays everything is so accessible via Social Media. The smarter people have looked into where the reference is from and they’re creating their own version.
DIY and these bold individualist ideas is something that was the philosophy of pop singers in 80s Spain, like Alaska, as well as anarchic, surreal film artists like Almodovar. Are you influenced by that period?
For sure. When I was growing up I thought Alaska was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. I would sit in front of the TV, watch her dance and tell my sister that I wanted to marry Alaska. So she has definitely been an icon in terms of something that’s unique, exotic, different, brave, bold and exciting.
I think those themes have trickled down from all the influential figures in my life. I’ve replicated that spirit throughout my life, in my friendships, relationships, in my design and now photography.
What advice would you give to people that might be interested in photography?
If you see something, don’t try and rip it off. Look at it with your own eyes and see what you can get out of it. How can you make it unique? Even if it’s already leaning heavily on a reference, how can you put your own stamp on it? Even if you don’t have the equipment or the room just get crafty.
Yeah, you don’t need thousands of dollars to do that.
No, no at all. One of the things I have to do is not only be the photographer, but the set designer and the retoucher. I just get my friends together, they model, somebody will do makeup and somebody else will pull in the styling. That’s way more fun.
Sometimes that makes better art. Look at people like Andy Warhol with the Factory. Artists that are inspired by who they hung out with, as opposed to just random cold models with whom they have no connection.
Exactly. Sh’Moan knows what I want, she does hair for photographers, has a good understanding of makeup and does drag. It’s fun to have a friend who’s into the idea and you can brainstorm with. It was a cool partnership.
Finally, Loverboy is named after the iconic 2001 single by Mariah Carey. So we always ask what is your favourite Mariah song?
I find ‘Touch My Body’ so flirtatious and goofy. The video is just her jumping like a little butterfly in the backyard. “Touch My Body” is such a silly message, but it’s pure flirtation and fun.
www.AlvaroMasaPhoto.
Follow Alvaro on Instagram
Credits
Model: Sh’Moan Jackson
Hair: Anthony Hernandez
Make Up: Dillon Peña
