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PODCAST

The Messy Truth - Conversations on Photography

Photo Director Gem Fletcher hosts The Messy Truth, a podcast dedicated to the world of contemporary photography featuring exclusive interviews with emerging and leading artists, curators and critics. Listen in to these candid conversations that unpack photography and why it connects us all in such transformational ways. Follow Gem’s Instagram @gemfletcher for images of photographs discussed in each episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

arts visual arts

All Episodes

44:51

Donna Ferrato - On Justice

The Messy Truth - Conversations on Photography ·

2025/10/27

In this episode, Gem Fletcher talks to Donna Ferrato, a fearless photojournalist who has redefined how the world sees domestic violence through her groundbreaking work. Her seminal book Living With the Enemy [published by Aperture] sparked a global reckoning, exposing the hidden realities of abuse and igniting conversations that continue to drive change. In this conversation, Donna shares her radical approach to image making, what she went through to get her work seen, and her lifelong mission of

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48:53

Lisa Barnard - On Perception

The Messy Truth - Conversations on Photography ·

2025/10/20

In this conversation Lisa Barnard talks to Gem Fletcher about her new exhibition, You Only Look Once, at c/o Berlin which considers perception in relation to both human and machine experience. She addresses the complexity of technological progress and the ecological resources on which its promises depend. Her research focuses on California, unfolding a multilayered, fragmented and nonlinear story that encompasses photographs, an immersive video installation, archival interventions, alternative

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1:00:11

Liz Johnson Artur - On Taking Time

The Messy Truth - Conversations on Photography ·

2025/09/15

I Will Keep You in Good Company, the latest book by Liz Johnson Artur brings together pages and fragments from over twenty years of her personal workbooks she has kept since the early 1990s. These books are a kind of private, experimental playground where she shaped her photographic language through layering, cutting, annotating, and assembling: a space for processing not only images, but life itself. Each page is a tactile surface, combining photographic prints on canvas, tracing paper, faxes, and

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1:11:32

Vince Aletti - On Collecting

The Messy Truth - Conversations on Photography ·

2025/09/07

In this episode Gem talks to writer and curator Vince Aletti about his most recent book Physique—which showcases rare photographic prints from the underground gay magazine of the same name—collated from his own private collection. Spanning the 1930s to the early 1960s, these photographs chronicle a hidden, coded world of homoerotic imagery. Physique reveals a forgotten chapter of American gay culture in which photographic prints served as a lifeline, connecting a community of men under threat while

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36:11

Charlotte Jansen - On Discovery

The Messy Truth - Conversations on Photography ·

2025/05/12

In this episode, Gem Fletcher talks to Charlotte Jansen, writer and Photo London curator. They discuss mechanics behind photography fairs, how she approaches the curatorial process and how this aspect of the industry can support the work of emerging artists.Charlotte Jansen is a British Sri Lankan author, journalist and critic based in London. She is the curator of Discovery at Photo London and writes on contemporary art and photography for The Guardian, The Financial Times, The New York Times,

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53:25

Carolyn Drake and Andres Gonzalez - On Collaboration

The Messy Truth - Conversations on Photography ·

2025/04/21

In this episode, Gem Fletcher talks to photographers and longtime partners Carolyn Drake and Andres Gonzalez about their collaborative project and book, “I’ll let you be in my dreams if I can be in yours,” published by Mack. For the last five years, the two artists have traversed the border between Mexico and the United States, working together for the first time and ruminating on ideas about human connection, migration and the mechanics of photography itself. In this conversation they talk about

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1:00:56

Amak Mahmoodian - On Dreaming

The Messy Truth - Conversations on Photography ·

2025/04/07

In this episode, Gem Fletcher speaks to Amak Mahmoodian about her latest body of work, ‘One Hundred and Twenty Minutes’, in which she examines dreaming for individuals living in exile. Working with 16 collaborators, Amak uses photography, poetry, drawing and video to explore the new lives created through dreams, as well as the ways in which dreaming enables individuals to return to a past that cannot be reached while awake.Amak Mahmoodian is a multidisciplinary artist and educator. She began her

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49:38

Paul Kooiker - On the Archive

The Messy Truth - Conversations on Photography ·

2025/03/24

In this episode, Gem Fletcher talks to artist Paul Kooiker. They discuss his process, unique way of seeing, his relationship to equipment, the archive, book making and sepia and how he thinks about the ecosystem around his practice.Paul Kooiker is an award winning artist based in Amsterdam.Disconnected from time and place, and transcending classic gender roles, his surreal images feel like film stills of stories we can only imagine. Paul’s practice is characterised by a conceptual and experimental

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44:24

Alessia Glaviano - On Relevance

The Messy Truth - Conversations on Photography ·

2025/03/08

In this episode, Gem Fletcher talks to Alessia Glaviano, the Head of Global PhotoVogue and Director of the PhotoVogue Festival. They discuss relevance, why Alessia hates nostalgia, the importance of obsession and why artists need the freedom to be controversial.Since joining Vogue Italia in 2001, Glaviano rapidly ascended from Photo Editor to Visual Director, where she played a crucial role in shaping the visual identity of the publication.In early 2022, with the relaunch of PhotoVogue on a global

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54:04

Jack Davison - On Craft

The Messy Truth - Conversations on Photography ·

2025/01/03

In this episode, Gem Fletcher talks to Jack Davison about craft, creative development and the importance of taking risks, all through the lens of his new project A is for Ant, a multifaceted experience which includes his debut short film, two photo books, a live touring performance, and workshops. Made in collaboration with Shona Heath and Matt Willey where each letter of the alphabet is represented by an animal - playfully characterised by both actors and live creatures and created in the inventive

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50:36

Cait Oppermann - On Autonomy

The Messy Truth - Conversations on Photography ·

2024/12/23

In this episode, Gem Fletcher talks to Cait Opperman about her creative journey and her new full service production company Flowers. Born from her desire for greater autonomy and more direct and meaningful collaboration with her clients, Cait is creating a new model beyond the traditional photographer and agent dynamic. While she had a hunch that building Flowers would offer a more expansive way of working with less compromise, Cait also found it rekindled her personal connection to creativity in

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34:34

Sophie Hackett - On Vernacular Photography

The Messy Truth - Conversations on Photography ·

2024/12/16

In this episode, Gem Fletcher talks to Sophie Hackett, the photography curator at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto about the power of vernacular photography. We discuss her recent book and exhibition on Casa Susana - The Story of the First Trans Network in the United States 1959-1968. These incredibly inspiring photographs trace an underground network of transgender women and cross-dressing men who found refuge in a house in the Catskills region of New York. The house, known as Casa Susanna,

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46:58

Jesse Glazzard - On Community

The Messy Truth - Conversations on Photography ·

2024/12/10

In this episode, Gem Fletcher talks to Photographer Jesse Glazzard renowned for making striking and intimate portraits anchored in his everyday life and wider community. Alongside his commercial and editorial work, Jesse’s passion projects immerse us in marginal, lesser-known worlds, such as a Trans boxing gyms, Queer camping and underground club nights. His photographs are informed by care and compassion and the impetus of his practice is on the importance of documentation, without necessarily

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1:21:03

Brian Paul Lamotte - On Design as Collaboration

The Messy Truth - Conversations on Photography ·

2024/11/18

In this episode, Gem Fletcher chats to designer and educator Brian Paul Lamotte about reimagining the possibilities of form, production and distribution in art and photobooks. In a deep dive into the book making process we open up a conversation about the changing scope of publishing, the transformative experience of being entangled with an artist and their intentions and ultimately design as a form of collaboration.Brian Paul Lamotte (b. 1984, San Francisco, USA) is an independent graphic designer

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34:04

Nathaniel Tonelli - On Alternative Realities

The Messy Truth - Conversations on Photography ·

2024/11/11

Nathaniel Tonelli, known by their monika Female Pentimento, has cultivated a vast audience on social media in awe of their celestial images which both advocate for climate awareness while traversing the space between heaven and earth, life and death, spirituality and science fiction. While Nathaniel’s work feels provocative and exciting, it’s their approach to designing a practice that prioritizes care, independence and anonymity that I wanted to dig into with them during this episode. Together we

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1:10:39

Charlie Engman on AI Images

The Messy Truth - Conversations on Photography ·

2024/10/14

In this episode, Gem Fletcher welcomes back Charlie Engman to talk about Cursed, his new book of AI Images. Cursed stands as a testament to Charlie’s visionary role in the rapidly evolving and highly contentious field of AI, offering an immersive exploration of uncharted artistic territories and proposing a new paradigm for the future and possibilities of photography. During their roving conversation, AI Images act as a way to not just reflect upon Charlie’s work but also to interrogate the

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45:44

Alona Pardo - On Multiplicity

The Messy Truth - Conversations on Photography ·

2024/09/30

In this episode, Gem Fletcher talks to curator Alona Pardo about her rich practice rooted in multiplicity. Alona is one of those curators who knows how to truly capture the imagination of the audience, planting ideas in our minds that reverberate long after we have left her exhibitions. During the conversation, Alona talks about her process, interests and how her curatorial practice has evolved over time.Alona Pardo is Head of Programmes at the Arts Council Collection, UK, and was until recently a

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36:18

Laura Pannack - On Longevity

The Messy Truth - Conversations on Photography ·

2024/09/16

In this episode, Gem Fletcher delves into the unique approach of London-based photographic artist, Laura Pannack. Her practice, which is a blend of experimentation and research, is a deep exploration of the intricate relationship between subject and photographer. The work is rooted in intimate collaborations with individuals and communities, and it constantly pushes the boundaries of what photography can be.Laura Pannack, a London-based photographic artist, has made a significant impact in the field

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42:11

Jermaine Francis - On Roots

The Messy Truth - Conversations on Photography ·

2024/09/02

In this episode, Gem Fletcher talks to Jermaine Francis about his multifaceted practice. Jermaine’s work is both deeply personal while also speaking to the intersection of politics and culture in the UK, inviting us to explore the physical and psychological aspects of our space, unpacking themes of history, power, class and race in photography.Jermaine Francis is a London lens Based Artist, his practice works within, Documentary & Portraiture, archive in the format of personal driven Photo

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33:32

Eleonora Agostini - Live at Peckham 24

The Messy Truth - Conversations on Photography ·

2024/07/22

Welcome to one of five special episodes recorded live at Peckham 24. In this episode, I speak to Eleonora Agostini about her series, A Study On Waitressing, in which she assembles and re-presents photographs, archival imagery and footage, collage and text as a research method to analyse the theatricality of the everyday and the function of the body as a conduit between observer and observed.Peckham 24 exists to support the photographic community by providing artists with opportunities to exhibit,

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