Andreea Preda

“That’s why I’m not a writer, I don’t think I could write something I didn’t want to make disappear later. This doesn’t happen with photographs because in the end each viewer sees a different thing based a little on what I try to transmit, but also on his own emotions.” observes Andreea Preda, a Madrid based photographer. Her images transmit a very calming and thoughtful vibe – and sensual even without giving away a lot of the portrait person…

You once said ” I take photographs because it makes me a little happier and fulfills my desire to reveal myself to others without having to use words, which I distrust.” Why do you distrust words?

On your website you have those two series: “a series of insoluble problems” and “having a coke with you”  at the moment . The first one is self-portraits of yourself, right? Why did you choose this title?

It’s not only self-portraits; there are actually pictures of nine different girls. Maybe the fact that there’s barely any face visible makes it confusing for people to notice. I chose that title because this series is about women, and all the mystery involved in our condition, our choices and states of mind.

The second one “having a coke with you” I assume it is with your boyfriend, am I right? Again what made you chose this title?

You’re right. This series contains pictures I took during a trip we did to Morocco and the title comes from a poem by Frank O’Hara I discovered while editing the series. It’s about how it is infinitely more important to find the right person to do things with than the things themselves. It’s just a simple idea I agreed with.

The camera has accompanied you throughout many years of your life. How do you feel when looking at your images from some years ago?

In my first series there’s a mix of very old pictures and very new ones. I don’t really feel them to belong to a different body of work, I don’t think my style has evolved that much. And so the feelings I wanted to express then are still very close to what I want to communicate now.

You were born in the South of Romania, but grew up and live in Madrid now. Do you still have also Romanian influences in your life and work though?

Of course, that part of myself is very present in my life. I do feel very attached to my Romanian roots but I’m not sure of how it shows in my work or if it shows at all. I have an idea for a project that will explore this part of my life, not sure of how it will look like yet but hope to have it finished by the end of summer.

Everyone seems to be going back to analogue at the moment. But I think you have pretty much always shot analogue expect some digital experiments as a teenager, right?

That’s right. I switched to analogue the first time I grabbed one of my father’s old cameras and immediately felt that it suited me a lot better than digital.

In 5 years you want to?

I don’t have a clear-cut idea of what I want to be in five years, I just hope to be content with myself and be living with enthusiasm. Apart from that, I’ll let life surprise me.

5 things you cannot live without?

I have never tried living without what I consider to be essential things for me but I believe I could do without a lot of these. Except for some important people, and lots of books and taking pictures, maybe.

The person that inspired you most in your life?

There are a lot of them, I’m constantly inspired by other people’s lives and works, most of them anonymous people I find on flickr.

Last time you laughed?

Yesterday, I think. I finished my final exams so I was in the right mood for laughing haha

www.andreeapreda.com