Short profile
Anthony Bockheim was born in Minot, North Dakota, USA, but now lives and works in South Korea, outside Seoul. He initially completed music studies at Brookhaven College and Texas Woman’s University, majoring in classical guitar and composition. Moving abroad quickly provided him with a wealth of new experiences and ultimately led to photography. Anthony Bockheim works as an English teacher, and his photographs are now exhibited internationally and have won several awards.
5 QUESTIONS TO ANTHONY BOCKHEIM
Can you tell us a little bit about how you became a photographer?
I have always had a strong desire to share my point of view with the world. Initially, I was a verbally dominant person. Using my voice was the main pathway for communication. Over time, I learned few people actually care to listen. I began studying music in the year 2000 in hopes of expressing myself through a universal language. Eventually, I earned two degrees in music. However, communication through music proved not as universal as I initially believed. Music has the potential for all to share in, but my efforts seemed trapped inside an academic bubble. I left the United States for South Korea in 2008 and purchased a used camera in 2015. Immediately, I found the process of photography exhilarating. Over time, I learned that visual communication was the medium best suited for me to express myself.
Photo: Anthony Bockheim
Please share something about your images. What is your special interest? How do you choose the colors, composition, themes etc.?
I am very interested in the folly of mankind. We build things that don’t last very long. As nature encroaches upon our structures, a strange and dark beauty is often present. One of my desires it to capture the forces of nature exerting themselves on our constructs.
Photo: Anthony Bockheim
Where does this interest come from?
Several years ago, I walked past an abandoned greenhouse with wildflowers growing inside. The photograph I captured that day changed the course of my pursuits with a camera. The flowers swam in and out of focus and the layer of plastic proved a wonderful filter. For a few years, I searched out banal subjects on the other side of plastic. Somehow that search has transformed itself into the efforts I make with a camera today.
Photo: Anthony Bockheim
How do you get inspired? And what inspires you the most? Films, books, or magazines? Or what surrounds you?
I was most inspired by the Belgian artist Cedric Vandenbossche. Beyond that, my environment is the main driver in my images. I am also simply driven to share the world through my eyes.
What are your plans for the rest of the day?
I will finish the laundry, eat dinner, and watch two of the remaining three unwatched best picture nominated films for this year.
