Interview with August Artist, Photographer Timothy Rysdyke!

Announcing the newest exhibition at Cairo, featuring “I Think You’re so Famous: Hillebrity Superstars” by photographer Timothy Rysdyke. The show features a collection of new and archived photographs of local public figures displayed on Timothy’s photo-expo Hillebrity. It will mark the one-year anniversary of the Hillebrity website, as well as the debut of the photographer’s Andy Warhol-inspired “screen-tests” of selected hillebrities, which will be on display for the opening on Thursday, August 9^th. 

I had the pleasure of interviewing Timothy on Seattle's one day of blistering heat last week, which was conducted inside after a failed attempt to bear the hot sun. Tim and I discussed self portraits, family life, and study drugs. Check out photos and his interview below! 

Holding a self portrait

What were some of your inspirations for your first show?

Andy Warhol. I came up with the idea of this because I was talking to a friend about Andy Warhol and the whole Factory scene, I don't know who I love more…Andy Warhol or Edie Sedgewick. They had a really interesting, complex, volatile relationship. I have also been really interested in feminism and gender roles lately, so I've decided to only include women in my show.

What was the impetus for Hillebrity?
Hillebrity started because I am such a little party kid. I love running around at bars and talking to everyone. And I love photography. It started so I had an excuse to go up to strangers at a bar and say, "Hey, can I take your photo?" It kinda just happened. I was always in a bar and always had my camera. And, I am personally obsessed with Capitol Hill.

Where are you from, and how does it affect your art?
I'm from upstate New York. I didn't really like the people that I grew up around in my town. I mean, that's a generalization, but there weren't a lot of interesting people or unique people or free thinkers, or people who dress quirky or any of those things. Now I'm in a place where I look around and everyone is themselves, and I find it so interesting.

Do you have a favorite book?
I'm going to have to go with Dave Eggers' "You Shall Know Our Velocity!" That or Miranda July's "No One Belongs Here More Than You."

So much of your work has to do with style; do you have a style icon?
Like, someone I look up to because of their clothes?

Do you have someone that you look up to?
Miranda July. For three reasons. 1. She's funny 2. She's a weirdo 3. She does everything. She's a writer,  filmmaker, performance artist, and she's a visual artist. She's a renaissance woman.

Tell me about your column in The Stranger.
It's called What You're Not Wearing. Recently I got an email from someone that was asking about my column, and subject of the email was,"help me settle a debate between me and my friends". Then they asked me if "what you're not wearing"  is whether you should be wearing it, or shouldn't be wearing it. I just stop people on the street that I think are wearing something interesting, but I never give my opinion about the clothing. I more so think of myself as a documentarian. Sometimes I'll take photos of something that is much different from my style: I would never wear it, but I still find it interesting.

How did you get so obsessed with Andy Warhol?
I think it's because we kind of share a lot of the same traits. Andy Warhol was a very obsessive person. Warhol just liked people, sort of, maybe. I really like people. We both just like really beautiful or weird looking people, or just weird personalities. I think we have some of the same artistic style, but I probably learned most of mine from him, honestly.

Tell me about your taco summer.
I am eating 500 tacos from summer solstice to the equinox. I take a picture of everyone one so I can keep track. There is a bunch of people that do it. Someone invited me to do it through a Facebook page. I was like this is the coolest thing I've ever heard. I just decided on the spot that I was gonna eat 500 tacos this summer. AND I WILL.

What is next?
I am  planning a Hillebrity drinkable gallery. I am making drinking glasses out of recycled bottles with Hillebrity photos on them, so everyone can drink out of these cups at the party.  It's drinking out of my artwork in a way, so essentially Hillebrities drinking out of cocktail glasses that have other Hillebrities on them, while I take Hillebrity photos of Hillebrities drinking out of Hillebrity glasses. I have to pee.

Describe your artistic style in three words?
Lost fucking boy.

See you on August 9th!