Today we’d like to introduce you to Mike Posner @fictiveillusion
Hi Mike, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My name is Mike Posner, I was raised in a small town known as Doylestown Pennsylvania. Art and music weren’t something that was really looked at as a priority where I grew up. The main priority as far as anyone around me was concerned was what business school they were going to attend and which degree to pursue. As I was growing up around my peers, I noticed I was diFerent. When I say diFerent, I really mean my interest and my passion. I constantly had this underlying itch to go out and photograph and to build worlds fueled by the certain feelings and visions that were filled in my head. While I didn’t have access to models and stylist, I would photograph whatever I could ranging from my local town, my friends, and even myself. This was simply all driven by the need to photograph and to express myself the only way I knew how. While I couldn’t relate as much to others around me at the time with this passion, I found myself alone a lot, and I was perfectly
happy with this. At the time I didn’t know what was different about me I just knew my interest and the way I viewed the world wasn’t the same as everyone else around me at the time. What I did find was that music, the way it made me feel and act was always there for me, and that exact reason is why I am pursuing celebrity portraiture more specifically in the music and hip-hop genre because of its wide impact it has had on me. Music has saved my life on so many aspects and has made me feel a part of something. Which is the reason I feel I must pursue my passion giving back to the music and art world the very thing that has given so much to me.
The name “fictiveillusion” comes from the word “Fictive” which refers to something that is invented or imagined, not real. Usually relates to fictional or made-up stories, ideas, or worlds. “Illusion” refers to a false perception or a misleading image of reality. These together ultimately create an experience and an art style which questions the reality we find ourselves in and pushes the bounds of photography and digital media.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
There are always obstacles. Life will test you in so many ways. It is still testing me to this day. That is why it is so crucial to stay focused and positive, and most importantly to follow your heart and to not look back or question it. What has helped me is knowing that everybody who has done or is doing what I want to do, have all been in the same spot at one point in their life. I promise you, you are not alone.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
The Idea that music more specifically a specific song or album, can take us away and make us feel something, causing us to escape from our own reality, is the same idea and concept I wish to bring to my photographs. In times of stress and hardships, everybody has certain ways of dealing and getting through tough times. For me it’s creating fictional worlds through the visions that go around in my head, highlighting my subjects and overall creating an experience through photography. World building is an essential aspect in all the art that I create, and my own works serves as an escape for me, and a way for me to express to the world how and what I am feeling. I aim to create an experience with each photo showing a different world and experience. I want each photo to hold its own weight and emotion, sort of like an album, each piece is different and speaks in its own ways. When people see my images, I want them to experience it and feel the settings and worlds I build for my subjects. The Idea that music can take us away and escape our own reality is the same idea I want to bring to my photographs. I want the people to feel something when they see and experience my work, even if it’s just for a second. I want to bring something new to the world of photography.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
Music and music videos have been the biggest inspiration to me. I’ve found myself gravitating towards the melodic and production side of hip hop, including artist such as Travis Scott, Kid Cudi, and Baby Keem. That’s just to name a few of course. I am always up to listening to new sounds. My playlist is so random it ranges from rap to heavy metal, and all the way to classical music. Like Mozart. I am also into films and one of my favorite directors has to be Christopher Nolan. I admire his world building aspect and his ability to communicate a message and feel in each of his pieces. This applies to the musicians I listen to as well. I am always studying art and artist and how to communicate and elevate certain concepts.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.fictiveillusion.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fictiveillusion/
Image Credits
b&w images: @amj_gallery___
