Dillon Marsh on Photography and Travel

We talk to Capetonian photographer Dillon Marsh about his artwork and travels

Artist's Biography

Born: Belville, Cape Town, 1981. Grew up on a farm in Stellenbosch. Lives and works in Cape Town. Received his BA (Fine Arts) in 2003 from Stellenbosch University. Major exhibitions: Vukela Art Competition, Sasol New Signatures 2008, Spier Contemporary 2010. Awards and scholarships: Foto 2002 Competition (winner of photo series category), Timo Smuts Prize Exhibition (winner fine art category). Dillon Marsh works as a retouch-artist for a small company in Woodstock.

Dillon on conceptual photography

I meet Dillon Marsh at Royale Eatery for a cup of coffee and a good chat about his artwork. I was already familiar with his work, as his photographs were given a prominent spot at Spier Contemporary 2010, which has so far been Dillon’s greatest exposure.

Dillon’s series of twelve photographs depict cell phone towers disguised by cell phone companies as palm or pine trees in Cape Town and Surrounds, the first of which appeared in 1996. Marsh placed each tree centrally in the frame, like a scientific illustration of a botanical specimen; de-saturating the colour in the manner of a hand coloured engraving from the 19th century. The series, entitled: Invasive Species, explores the relationship between the environment and the disguised towers of Cape Town and the surrounds.

“Although the masts are disguised, they make you look twice,” says the photographer, “I like the idea behind something that is transformed into something that it’s not,”

Dillon is an artist, who hails from a family of creative’s. His sister, for example, works in the jewellery design industry. As an artist, he’s always on the lookout for projects and competitions and his love of photography is deeply influenced by travel. He’s travelled Europe and India, and from Nairobi to Cape Town using public transport. However, Dillon’s photographs tend to focus more on the people, rather than the surroundings in which they find themselves.

“I try to give each project a particular, yet different feel. I feel strongly about what I photograph and want to get more connected with the continent by posing the questions: Who are you? And where are you?” explains Dillon.

Dillon on transitions and why he’s an advocate for Photoshop

One of Dillon’s projects focuses on the sociable weaver birds in the Kalahari, who assume ownership of the telephone poles that cut across their habitat. Their burgeoning nests are inertly statuesque and teeming with life, and the twigs and grass collected to build these nests combine to give recognisable personalities to otherwise inanimate poles.

“How the nests were placed in the centre fascinated me,” remarks Dillon, “I like landscapes and their interesting elements and things that I discover in transition – not quite one thing or another.”

Boneless, another of Dillon’s projects, is a series of three photographs that challenge the rigid structure of various manmade objects. Dillon combined photography and 3D work, by taking a picture of a pylon outside of Cape Town, on his way to the West Coast. The effect is quite reminiscent of large, street art.

Dillon is a professional retouch artist, experienced in the post production of photographs. Despite the fact that he sticks to his medium format, Hasselblad film camera, as opposed to digital photography,
he admits that he’s a huge fan of Photoshop.

“There’s a stigma attached to Photoshop, as some say it is used to manipulate images, but I think it enhances photographs,” comments Dillon, who adds a faded, bleached look to his photographs to create a special atmosphere, “I keep things very simple and the subjects matter.”

Dillon draws his inspiration from contemporary photography and is a fan of the work of Peter Hugo. Although, he gains much of his inspiration just by driving and travelling.

“I’m very private about what I do and usually just show my works when finished,” concludes Dillon, who has a quiet, yet intriguing demeanour.

By Antonia Heil

Find images of Dillon’s travels and latest projects on his website and his Facebookpage.

P.S. Dillon loves driving around the Cape Peninsula to find a quiet beach spot. Check out Cape Town’s Top Ten Beaches.

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