Philadelphia-based artist Adam Wallacavage is a man of many talents. As a noted photographer, he’s captured many a weird underground scene with his hungry lens. And as a lover of eight- legged tentacled things, he’s become know for his beautifully-sculpted octopus chandeliers, the kind that would look just perfect hanging above Jack Sparrow’s dinner table. Against The Grain talks to Wallacavage about the decorative arts, squid ink pasta, and staying alive in Philly.
WHAT ARE YOUR FEELINGS ON OCTOPI? My brother had one in a jar when I was a kid. I thought it was super cool. I'm not obsessed with them or anything I just think they make cool chandeliers. I mean if I were to turn into an animal of my choice, I'd pick to be a Godzilla or a mothra. They have the craziest animals over in Japan. I saw a thing about them on TV.
DO YOU EAT OCTOPUS? HAVE YOU HAD SQUID INK PASTA? I'm allergic to them because I'm allergic to shellfish and octopus are descendents of the nautilus which is a squid-like animal that has a shell. My ex tried to kill me once by ordering me the black pasta once, but I noticed some tiny tentacles in the mix and lived to tell the tale.
WHEN DID YOU FIRST REALIZE THAT THEIR PHYSIOGNOMY WAS PERFECTLY SUITED TO CHANDELIERS? Physiognomy? Damn, that's a cool word and I would have no idea what it meant if you didn't use it in a sentence. I started out with the idea of making an octopus ceiling medallion first with a jellyfish chandelier but it wasn't making sense and I was inspired by a glass jellyfish chandelier I saw in an old book and wanted to avoid that. The octopus just made sense.
AS A PHOTOGRAPHER YOU’VE SHOT SOME PRETTY AWESOME SUBCULTURES. WHAT ARE YOU SHOOTING RIGHT NOW? This summer I documented Steve Powers’ Love Letters project in west Philly. It is a mural project covering the span of the elevated subway where Steve designed murals that line the rooftops of it with messages. They did over 30 of them and I've been shooting photos of the process and final results. Other than that, just whatever strikes my fancy as they say.
YOU’RE SOMETHING OF A RENAISSANCE MAN – HOW DID THAT COME ABOUT? I just do what I want with whatever resources I find. I get into things because I just want it. I got into photography when I was a kid making skateboard ‘zines because it was too hard getting other people to shoot what I wanted. Chandeliers and wallpaper because I had ideas that were too expensive to realize if I had someone else do it. What I do is not art. It's some sort of craft. I just swindled my way into "art" galleries for the prestige. I'm joking but there's sometimes much truth in jokes.
WHAT’S THE BEST THING ABOUT LIVING IN PHILLY FOR YOU? The best thing about living in Philly is that I'm not dead. My family is in the area and that is important. I can do what I want here and take off easily if I want to. It's just home.
WHAT KIND OF CAMERA DO YOU SHOOT WITH? I use a Lumix LX3 point and shoot and a Canon DSLR camera. I'm not a big gear geek, but I like a simple set up with a flash and a wide angle lens.
WHEN DID YOU START SKATING? When I was 6 years old. 1976. My brother and sisters and all the kids in the neighborhood started back then. It was a major fad. I got really into it when I was 11. I discovered how awesome it felt to skate a tiny board down the steepest hill in the neighborhood all by myself. It was the greatest thing in the world to me.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SKATE SPOT IN YOUR TOWN? I need to be careful not to break bones but I hang out at FDR skatepark which is down the street from my house.
YOU PHOTOGRAPH OBJECTS IN MOTION, OFTEN HUMANS IN MOTION, ABOUT TO JUMP OFF THINGS, ON THE EDGE OF SOMETHING, FACING GRAVITY. ARE YOU AN ADRENALINE JUNKIE? I suppose I am. I like seeing exciting things. I try not to do anything stupid myself but I'll gladly shoot a photo of someone doing something stupid.
WOULD YOU PUNCH AN ALIEN? It depends.
--Caroline Ryder / Against The Grain
