an interview with
Angel Velluto
Interview by: Jennie Bull
JB: Hi Angel, thank you for sitting down with us today. Could you give our readers a little bit of background on who you are?
AV: Hey Jennie! Yes, I work as a creative director and I suppose stylist, making kinda silly art with some of London's best artists! I’ve been doing this for around 9 months and it’s the most fun you can have.
JB: You grew up in the Forest of Dean. How has the nature around you in your upbringing shaped your creative expression today?
AV: Well firstly, the Forest of Dean is the most beautiful place in England, and as someone who has barely traveled outside the UK, I’m gonna say the world too. For me the forest represents the perfect connection between darkness and light and this balance is something I’m always trying to strike in my work.
JB: Is your community at home accepting of your expressive style?
AV: To be honest I have no idea! I used to make a little erotic magazine when I was younger and I remember my mother seeing it and never ever speaking about it again. So recently when I showed her some of my work, she said she liked it better than the soft core porn I used to make… so I think that’s a great endorsement.
JB: What pushed you to make the leap to London?
AV: Well, romance I suppose. And the hope that I could find something that finally satisfied me.
JB: How did you start your journey as a creative director?
AV: I was encouraged by the Icon that is @janinazais who was my partner at the time. I think I always struggled to find my place as a creative throughout my life, and she recognised this when we first met. She always encouraged my drawing and general faffing around and once she told me what a creative director is (a photographer who can’t use a camera) it felt like this would be perfect. I love world building and creating teams and it’s just so satisfying!
JB: Can you share how collaboration with artists like Janina Zais, Charlotte Rutherford, and more have opened your lens to create and enter whole new worlds?
AV: Well I had never been on a set in my life, and when I first moved to London I used to assist Janina with body painting and our first job together was with Charlotte. I contributed very little, other than helping Janina, but watching Charlotte direct and create a collaborative atmosphere was wildly inspiring. I have always loved her work and the fact she would ask everyone on the team's opinions throughout the process was really impressive.
My collaborations with Janina mean the most to me- without her I would still be working on a farm. She encouraged me to be confident with my vision and even in my weaker moments to stick to my guns.
JB: What sparks the inspiration behind your pictures? Where do you find ideas?
AV: I know it’s corny, but mainly dreams. Of course there’s the Tumblr era photography and the cursed images you see around the web which dictate the atmosphere I want to create, but the subject matter is usually a single image in a dream and I try to think how it would fit into the world I want to make.
JB: In a previous interview, you stated that you are a straight man. What draws you towards these images that feel very flamboyant and (homo) erotic in your work?
AV: Well, Although I’m a cis man, I have never felt truly comfortable conforming to what may be expected of my sexuality and gender. Growing up my heroes were Lily Savage, John Waters, Julian Clary, and Marc Bolan. I remember also watching the Rocky Horror picture show at a young age and found it so liberating and comforting. Frank-N-Furter for me represents how I thought of myself sexually. I suppose he is the template for me as a man… emotional, dramatic and perverted.
JB: How is your work a testament to women and the divine feminine?
AV: I try to always work with as many women as possible as there’s always a sense of community and safety during the project when the balance is correct. Working regularly with fantastic artists such as @renate.ariadne @yanavannuffel @twstwstwstwst @dashataivas @janinazais and @rue.charlotte has meant that the quality of the work is testament in itself. I always want to avoid the male gaze and represent the power each one of these creatives brings, not just to the work, but to the room in general when I work with them.
My mother, raising me and my younger brother while caring for a disabled father also set the template for what the divine feminine can be. She, against the odds and practical implications took on a lot and made many hard decisions and sacrifices in service of love and connection. This resistance against the odds is something that always informs my life and work.
JB: Your photographs seem as if they’re drawing from both fantasy and nightmares. When you close your eyes what imagery flashes to mind?
AV: Dark trees, fat men - pink and sweating - and a woman with beautiful blonde hair facing away from me.
JB: What are some of your current obsessions?
AV: My assistant @r.osew essential collection of hats, Powerade and the the music of Dorthy Carter.
JB: What makes you feel sexiest?
AV: When I’m cooking for someone.
JB: What has been your favorite shoot to date? Maybe in terms of set energy.
AV: I really loved the shoot I did with @ushko_2000 for @notion because it was just a really nice atmosphere and Ushko just served for 4 hours in the cold with feathers and pins being stuck into her back and mud thrown across her face. I love working with artists when they just let loose and give as much as they can.
AV: Playful, Raw and Tactile.
JB: Moody is all about self and sexual expression, and your work feels to be cut from a similar cloth. Why is expression an important aspect of your work?
AV: I think expression is the only reason to create. I’m maybe, for better or worse, not the most financially driven person, so if I have not expressed myself in a project then I’ve just wasted my time.
JB: What message do you hope comes across in your work?
AV: That making art is about community and fun. I’m desperately uninterested in making something that is cool. I want it to always look like it was fun and no one involved has any pretentious ambitions of lofty explanations of their work. Here is something cute… enjoy!
JB: What’s to come for you? What are you manifesting for the new year?
AV: Less pain and more muscles.