Paul Salveson grew up in Northern Virginia right near Washington D.C. He studied photography at Bard college and graduated in 2006. Since then he has been living in the New York area. He has been working on photography and music for the last several years.

In my photographs, I aim to worship objects I encounter every day, and present them as rebuilt icons with ambiguous purposes. I utilize details in my environment, and frame them to create simplicity and unfamiliarity. The obsessive arrangement of the pieces of my world allows for a reinvention of their purpose and meaning. The process of my photography is suffused with ritual, centering around transformation and re-presentation. When I encounter a certain desirable situation, place, or object, I collect it either physically or mentally. The combining of these logged items results in an event which is photographed meticulously until a formal balance is met. Implicit, but consistent and unyielding rules dictate the composition of my works.

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?

PAUL: I have just started to put my work out on the internet. I recently set up a very simple web site. I think my work has developed mostly independently from the internet, but I have just had to start thinking about how to share my work this way. It hasn't been such a stretch since I shoot digitally right now and mostly look at my work on a computer screen anyway. The hardest part for me has been making decisions about web site building. So far I think I am attracted to very simple websites without much extra distraction. That being said, I still have a lot of work to do on my web site.

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

P: Objects and environments I encounter in my life are my biggest inspirations. I collect objects I find interesting and eventually photograph them. I like to shoot in the suburbs, especially at my parent's and relative's houses. Many of my pictures were shot on holidays while visiting family. I also like to photograph food that I cook.

F: What are some of your favorite websites? 

P: I like to watch cooking shows on Youtube. Also I like to look at what people are selling on Craigslist. I have been watching the olympics online recently.

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?

P: I'm not sure i've figured this out myself yet. Your website is a great resource for open calls. I guess in my experience personal connections are the most important thing in getting your work out. Speaking to people face to face and showing your work to people in person is very important.

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

P: The color work that I sent you is from a long ongoing project. I think I will keep shooting this way and the project will evolve along the way. I have a hard time shooting in "projects". I just keep shooting and eventually it looks different than the older work. Recently I have also started doing high contrast black and white photographs inspired by role playing games and architecture. For this project the end result is a photocopy or laser print. I want to make an informal handmade book of this work.