Julian Bonequi
Mexican videomaker
Interview: 10 questions
1. Tell me something about your life and the educational background
I started on a continuous basis with writing and drawing when I was 14. Five years later, I joined the Faculty of Philosophy at the University in 1995, at the same age I started playing seriously drums and improvising. At 22, I interrupted my studies at the University because I needed something tactile, something where I could notice my progress and results, so I tried to live as a musician and painter for 6 years until age 28. In 2002 I decided to study photography in search of having a career. At the same time I started taking courses in film-script, and 16 mm with artists as Naomi Uman. She helped me a lot to change my perception of things. 7 years ago I decided to move to live and study Digital Animation in Madrid. Then I came to Barcelona where I did various specializations and masters in 3D animation and video game graphics. In 2007 I started working as 3D artist for companies and research groups focused in automation processes for broadcasting and online video games.
In 2009, the University Pompeu Fabra of Barcelona invites me as professor and later the Polytechnic University of Valencia, both to teach in the Master Degree in Animation.
In parallel and since 1995 I am a musician. Music is one of the most important things for me in life as well as graphic arts. In 2010 I moved to Berlin and created the e-magazine Audition Records, as curator and manager, specializing in experimental music.
2. When, how and why started you filming?
I was at the end of my studies in photography in 2004, and I was tired of my series of pictures. I missed the movement. Then somebody gave me a cheap miniDV camera. I was in Mexico City shooting a session of photography with a model at my house. The lens of the video camera was of poor quality, but that was not a problem. I liked it. I buried the 35 mm negatives of my pictures for weeks or months underground in that period. I used alcohol and all kinds of substances that destroy negatives. Scratching with pins. Drilled. I discovered the beauty of deconstruction and decay over time. It was in that session with the model, when I felt that photography was over for me. Mid-morning I painted in white her whole body. I dressed also in old clothes and made something weird with her hair.
After a few pictures, I didn’t feel more like for taking pictures. I grabbed the video camera, we went to the roof, and started with some prearranged signals the conduction to the model for my first video shooting.
The quality of the camera was bad, of course, and since then I started searching for more grainy-pixel cameras to highlight the digital errors and to find new ones… I find in the distortion and the destruction of the materials and the techniques something poetic
3. What kind of subjects have your films?
Now all is changing, but I love graphic mistakes, that is clear for me now. I work a lot with hazard and improvisation. I like also if I know how to do it well, then do it wrong.
As I said: my work mainly focuses on the vulnerability of things. In cracking, fissures, and defragmentation of the speech in exchange for the primitive. I aspire to primitive poetry and to the gross essence of things.
This is something I shared with music as concept. All my research is focused on emotional instability, semantic landscapes and cathartic explosions and even alienated as an act of concentration. At least, is the objective.
4. How do you develop your films, do you follow certain principles, styles etc?
Now all is uncertain. Now I’m working more with 3d graphics, trying to make anti3d.
I know most of the techniques. But I’m tired of the same clean hyper-results. I hate hyperreality. I liked of course when I was younger using LCD, or when I’m in love, but as an aesthetic experience I prefer accidents. I’m not searching something new, even nor something different, but hand-made accidents… ( also in 3d is possible :), that is probably my first principle in these new creations.
Styles? What is that? I prefer not to think I control styles and schools. Is from what I’m hiding.
5. Tell me something about the technical equipment you use.
Any kind of devices I can connect to a computer. And that’s all, scanners, cameras, pen tablets, mouse…. now I’m trying to come back to roots, and work more with animation.
Of course, these are distorted roots, because they need electricity and decoding.
6. The field of “art and moving images†(one may call it videoart or also differently) is manifesting itself as an important position in contemporary art. Tell me more about your personal position and how you see the future of this field ( your personal future and the future of “art and moving imagesâ€)
6. What are the chances of new media for the genre film/video in general and you personally?
All we are searching something for sure… probably some visuals like answers to all the questions we really don´t know. Something is sure, the audiovisual creatives and the quantity of information is growing up at a infinite speed, and I’m always waiting… what’s next.
7. How do you finance your films?
I have jobs not related to my creations. As professor, and 3d artist, and/or technical support in graphics.
8. Do you work individually as a video artist/film maker or do you work in a team?
Solo
if you have experience in both, what is the difference, what do you prefer?
Working alone sometimes is boring. You don´t have contrasts, dialogues or discussion, nor suggestions. And the results are not as expected many of the times.
After specialize in some specific approaches, I learn is much better to make good teams with other experts in each discipline. Also the deadlines change a lot with a good planning and friendly people who know their job.
9. Who or what has a lasting influence on your film/video making?
Is not a person. Is a concept.. I was in Linz in 2009 as spectator in a expo at Lentos Kuntmuseum about rendering of sound… since then I started realising my two passions in life were closer than ever.
10. What are your plans or dreams as a film/video maker?
Touch the people in some sense.
Can works of yours viewed online besides on CologneOFF or VideoChannel? Where?
List some links & resources
I prefere to give some music related to the images I´m working currently – about rendering of sound.
The cover images are the kind of visuals for the animations. The sounds the kind of music will merge them.
http://discordianrecords.bandcamp.com/album/comechingones
http://auditionrecords.com/rtma/archives/arm005.html