Ashlie Chavez is 23 years old and wants to live with animals.
MOSSLESS: One of your most compelling sets of photos is your Sincerity series. Can you tell us a bit more about this series?
ASHLIE CHAVEZ: I got the idea for the Sincerity series about 5 years ago. The concept is simple- I’d like to capture a frame of sincerity. I sit with a subject until he/she feels comfortable and then I say “I want you to think about the worst thing you have ever done.” And then they do. And then I say “Let me know when you have it but don’t tell me what it is.” And then they do. And then I say “Now apologize.” And then they do. And then SNAP! Take the photo. Whether I get a photo of them in mid sentence or just staring doesn’t change the actual experience I’ve shared with the subject- which is a really honest one. Each individual is in some way close to me so it makes for an endearing engagement, to say the least. I’ve had some subjects cry, some sit in silence, and some laugh at the thought of apologizing.
ML: You’ve photographed a lot of skateboarders. But can you actually skateboard yourself?
AC: No! I cannot, nor will I ever, attempt to skateboard. I have a very temperamental, and sometimes contentious, relationship with the sport.
ML: In your Symbiotic series you’re featured along side your identical twin sister. What’s it like having a twin?
AC: I wish I was able to compare it to not having a twin but I don’t know what that’s like. I do know that we are closer to each other than most siblings. So close that it has proved to be inhibiting. We don’t have as many friends as most people our age because we’ve always had each other- it keeps us from branching out. More people ask “Are you friends with the twins?” than “Are you friends with Ashlie?” or “Are you friends with Amber?” We’re kind of a package deal.
But we’ve let that closeness mature into something other than just social exclusiveness. Throughout college, advisers were pushing us to either separate or collaborate. At the time, I saw no reason for either. But I understand the advice now. When you have something that most people don’t, it should be considered a gift. Me and my sister could choose to let our being identical help us grow as distinct entities or allow it to make us a stronger force together- which is what we have chosen to do.
All of the happenings between us have disclosed that our identities are shared and not owned. It’s been an unnerving delineation. When you realize that your life would be over if a particular someone stopped existing- it really makes you live more careful.
ML: You’re also a very talented artist. Which do you prefer, photography or Illustration?
AC: Thank you. I draw when I can’t afford to shoot, so photography is priority. Film is making a quiet comeback but it’s not getting any cheaper. Shooting analogue is an expensive passion. There’s been more times than I care to count that I’ve sold things to have money to buy film or to process it. When I run out of things to sell, I pick up a pen and draw.
