Matthew Pillsbury at Jackson Fine Art

Summary

Artist Matthew Pillsbury describes returning his practice to New York after years of traveling and spending more time teaching. He shifts away from highly permission- and schedule-dependent, logistically complex shoots—such as limited time slots at major artworks—and toward a looser, exploratory method: walking the city with a camera.

Pillsbury emphasizes photographing in a way that encourages experimentation—including “making mistakes”—so images can be discovered organically rather than produced through strict planning.

A recurring subject is the High Line. He repeatedly returns to photograph it until a particular image finally “works,” highlighting persistence through iterative attempts.

A key creative method in the video is a portrait/installation-like approach for photographing friends while they watch their favorite TV shows. Instead of directing subjects into fixed poses, he uses time-based exposure that corresponds to the duration of the program being watched. He connects this to a conceptual blend of:

• the look of “leafedander”/screen-like images (as referenced in the subtitles), and
• historical precedent—evoking Eadweard Muybridge (via references to “double exposures”) and, most notably, Hiroshi Sugimoto, whose movie-theater exposures also tie exposure time to movie length.

This longer-exposure strategy helps subjects feel comfortable and behave naturally during the exposure—answering the phone, taking bathroom breaks, and acting as they normally would. When he reviews the results, he finds the images unexpectedly magical, transforming familiar everyday experiences into surprising, newly revealing pictures.

Artistic techniques, concepts, or creative processes shown

• Loose, exploratory street/documentary-style photographing

  • “Walking around the city with a camera” to find images rather than executing highly regimented shoots.

• Iterative refinement / persistence

  • Returning multiple times to photograph the High Line until achieving the desired result.

• Time-based exposure tied to real viewing duration

  • Exposure length is set to match the length of the TV show being watched.

• Portraiture without heavy direction

  • Reducing direct posing and dialogue so subjects remain at ease during exposure.

• Use of familiar content to reveal “magical” transformation

  • Everyday, recognizable experiences are reframed through the distinctive effects of longer exposures.

• Hybrid practical approach

  • Working with both 35mm (described as “snap” photography) and 8x10” while changing the creative approach and philosophy.

Step-like process (as described)

1. Photograph in New York at a slower, more exploratory pace (instead of traveling/permission-restricted work).
2. Choose a subject, often friends, usually in a familiar setting.
3. Have the subject watch something they already connect with (favorite TV shows).
4. Set the photo exposure duration to match the show’s length.
5. Let subjects stay comfortable and behave naturally during the shoot (phone calls, breaks, bathroom use).
6. Review the results for visual/psychological effects and refine the approach.

Creators or contributors mentioned (featured)

• Matthew Pillsbury — speaker/featured artist
• Hiroshi Sugimoto — referenced for inspiration (movie-theater long-exposure approach)
• John (Freelander / “leaf freedlander”) — referenced via “little screen pictures” (name unclear due to subtitles)
• Eadweard Muybridge — noted via “double exposures” reference
• Tom — friend/classmate mentioned as an example subject (not a creator figure)