Introducing Rick Pushinsky
We’re very happy to be able to welcome Rick to Breed as he joins our roster of artists. Rick is a photographer with a background in fine art, architecture and painting. He’s an editorial photographer, specialising in portraiture and still life. Recently his focus has been on menswear, working with Turnbull & Asser and Cubitts, though he has also photographed the likes of Bianca Jagger, Tracey Emin and Ai Wei Wei.
As we often do on these occasions, we put a few questions together to help Rick tell us a little about himself. So, here’s Rick:
How do you describe what you do and how you shoot?
When I’m making portraits I try to make room for people to share something of themselves and their idiosyncrasies.
More recently I’ve been making prints from my photographs. Finding ways to make degraded images that interact with the surface of the paper and play with their own flatness.
You started out as a painter – do you still paint? If so, do you ever exhibit your work?
My head is always full of paintings and they’re the images I most love to look at, but I’ve only very rarely painted since I took up photography about 15 years ago. Having found a way to involve printmaking in my work feels like a big deal – being able to mix photography with a more tangible type of image making.
Had you always been interested in photography? How did that become your main focus, professionally?
It was only after working with photography as a job that I started to engage with it meaningfully, then my interest grew over time. I still feel like I’m just starting to scratch the surface of what photography can be.
Have you ever made use of your studies in architecture?
Not directly, although I imagine it informs some of what I do.
Did you have any favourites among the people you’ve photographed?
The writers I have had the chance to visit in their homes have felt like the most meaningful shoots. Being able to spend time taking portraits in what feels like a natural, unhurried way.
Meeting and photographing Alan Garner felt like a real privilege, as did a morning at Judith Kerr’s house, and a commission to photograph Jan Morris at home in Wales.
Was it a deliberate decision to move more into photography for menswear brands? What influenced that?
I’ve always had a love of beautifully made clothes – both my grandfathers worked making clothes, as did my mother – so I was brought up with some appreciation of what’s involved. I enjoy the craftsmanship that goes into well-made things, and the sustainability of their being built to last.
Who have been the biggest influences on your photographic style?
There are people whose work I look at pretty often – Nigel Shafran, Mark Steinmetz, Katy Grannan and Brian Griffin. Compositionally I often think about Degas.
Who would you like to collaborate with in future?
People who share my love of craftsmanship and sustainability.
See more of Rick’s work here.
Imagery in the order shown:
Turnbull & Asser
Vintage menswear / Them Magazine
Vintage menswear / Them Magazine
Rupert Everett / Telegraph Magazine
Duro Olowu / Surface Magazine
The Duke of Richmond / Telegraph Magazine
