Art Works: Vic Camilleri's Photographic Statue

Taking photos is the way I like to communicate. I shoot people in the street, in their houses and in the restaurants; anywhere there is living, breathing and thinking. I got into photography growing up around Mansfield. It seemed everybody was filming and taking photos of skateboarding at the time.

I started skateboarding at twelve, and I’m still doing it now at twenty. When I skate with friends, I’m just happy, and when I try a scary trick, it’s serious fear. The feelings are so overpowering that nothing else matters and I’m truly living in the moment. I rarely take photos of skateboarding itself; it’s the people themselves and the reasons they skateboard that I find fascinating.

My most recent ideas have stemmed from setting up a photography exhibition at Section 144 Gallery. I had lots of space to use and once the frames were up, I wanted to do more, so decided to make an installation piece. Using my laser printer, I made photos that were almost life-size, with a 3D quality. I like to call them photographic statues, and I make them to connect with people on an emotional level. I’d rather take a few great photos than many mediocre ones.

With this piece in particular, a viewer told me it took them back to a time with their husband, when they’d lie in the park together. She said that was all they needed.

I am not studying art, I just do it. From bricklaying to coding, it’s all creative to me. I’d love the knowledge and tools to create anything I desired: a chair, a tap, a house, a bike... In the future, I’d like to travel to Spain, to create work that reflects the struggles and success of making friends, or maybe even finding love.