Mystical Mykonos
Through his lens, the world seems unearthy, almost etheral. Yiorgos Kordakis has seen Mykonos like no other photographer, far from references, connotations or touristic/folk expectations. Right before the publication of MYKONOS, his new book about the magical Cycladic island, the artist talks exclusively to Luisaworld about the allure of the place, as a subjet.
Give me a color and a sound that comprise, for you, the essence of summer.
The golden color of hey stack and the wind that blows over the Cyclades islands.
What is your relationship with water and the sea in general?
Like every other Greek, my relationship with it is very special and close. I would even call it somewhat erotic, if we were to talk about a secluded beach (in the Cyclades, as before).
You have told me in the past that you are interested in man’s relationship with the sea, as the natural element that unlocks feelings and behaviors that remain “locked up” during the winter. Does that still apply to your work?
Although the work I was reffering to, back then, «Global Summer» has been completed and let to rest for years, “unfortunately” its subject continues to concern me. And I choose to use the word «unfortunately» because I am always an observer, even now, without my camera capturing the interesting moments I witness.
How are you creatively freed by the summer and the sea?
I feel much more freedom – my mind feels like it is “rolling”, while summer scenes always inspire me.
What do you find in Mykonos, that you think is unique in the world?
The rare fact of being able to find yourself in places that remind you of an underdeveloped island while, at the same time, if you choose so, you can find yourself out drinking and dancing in one of the most cosmopolitan spots of the world
When were you first introduced to the island?
I’ve been coming back for 30 years. First as a teenager and, for several years afterwards, on vacation. Over the last few years I have been visiting the island a lot, but only for work.
How has Mykonos inspired you in your work?
Is it the light? A feeling you want to express? It has, from time to time, inspired me a great deal, and this is the reason why I decided to publish a book covering all its beauty, depicting the way it has been imprinted in my mind all these years.
How does an artist find himself, through a “commercial” job? Do you have the pleasure to be asked for your very own unique perspective, even when you are photographing for fashion?
Maybe I’m one of the lucky ones. I think that anyone who invites me into a collaboration expects from me to be exactly who I am, anticipating for this to appear in the end result. In this sense, I do not only find myself but it is also «imposed» in my work, even if it is commercial.
Even when you are photographing a loved one, there is this feeling in your images, that you seem to be keeping an almost-clinical distance from your subject, offering it the gift of different interpretations, without actually looking at it through your filter. How do you do that; Does it just happen or have you gone through a process that led you there?
It happens. I don’t know how to opperate otherwise.
Give us an ideal image of Mykonos (day, moment, frame, anything) … Nudism in one of its few unknown, pristine beaches.
