Chris Mottalini was born in 1978 and grew up in Buffalo, New York. He has a BS in Journalism from the University of Colorado, Boulder (2000). His work was recently exhibited at The Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago (“Building Pictures”) and was selected for the American Photo 24th Annual.

The following photographs are from a brand new series: Leif Eriksson Day. This project is a photographic interpretation of the remains of Leif Eriksson’s Viking settlement in northern Newfoundland, once a gateway to the mythical Viking New World. The images exist as photographic companions to the heroic, supernatural and violent events of The Vinland Sagas (a classical narrative of Viking exploration). They construct a portrait of the deserted camp as Norse ghost town, situated out of time and out of place in the modern North American wilderness.

FJORD: How do you feel the Internet has affected the way you work?  Have you changed the style of work you do or the way you present your work based on the way the Internet has changed how photography functions?

CHRIS: The Internet definitely makes it so much easier to get your work out there, through submissions, blogs, competitions, etc…more than anything, though, it has made me infinitely more easily distracted, as I always manage to think of something I have to read or find out about…hockey scores and hockey fights mostly.

I recently self-published a limited-edition series of three books (Winter City, The Mistake by the Lake and After You Left), exclusively using the Internet. It’s so easy and cheap and I want to make about twenty other books. I always hated those black portfolios anyway and now I don’t ever have to touch one of those things again. Thanks, Internet.

F: How do you gain inspiration for your work?   Where do you look for ideas?

P: My inspiration comes from all over the place. All of my projects are connected by similar ideas and themes (some less obvious than others), but getting there is usually pretty random. I try not to worry about what other photographers are up to. I usually stress myself out by trying to think of an idea for a new project and then I get to the point where I feel like I might not be able to come up with anything ever again and then I relax and then something usually just comes to me. Travel, solitude and books usually spark the creativity, though.

F: What are some of your favorite websites? 

C: Well, a little website called swimmingholes.org is kind of amazing. I also enjoy hockeybuzz.com, which is for hockey-obsessed losers. Photo-wise, I’m really into the Library of Congress’ online photo catalog from which you can order all kinds of fascinating prints.

F: Do you have any suggestion to help out new and emerging photographers gain exposure? How did you first start to promote yourself and your work?

C: Just work your ass off, take pictures of what you want to take pictures of and don’t let ‘em get you down.

F: Where do you see your work going in the next year and the future in general?

C: I plan on photographing more soon-to-be demolished Paul Rudolph projects. I want to shoot as much as possible, publish a book, exhibit my work, etc. I just started working on a new project, The Rock of the Month Club, which is about rocks that I pay a geologist couple to send me. Oh yeah, I want to get famous so I can take my girlfriend to Cancun.