Close Up and Private | Interview with founder Sergei Sviatchenko

It’s a general assumption that everyone with a blog is a young, annoying, web 2.0 media node. So it was a surprise to find out that the photographer behind ‘Close Up and Private‘ is 57 years old. Components of Enthusiasm found out that Sergei Sviatchenko is a Ukranian-born, Denmark based artist who runs his own studio and has a rather dapper personal style (he’s the fellow in the picture above).

While the entire interview is worth a read, an interesting answer comes when he’s asked about inspiration and influence.

COE:  Were there any other projects, blogs or creative individuals that you drew inspiration from for Close Up & Private?

SS:  Actually, not really.  At the start, I had no idea there was such a vibrant world of style blogs out there—I thought I was the only one!  I realized later that there was a the whole world of very great and beautiful blogs who shared a particular ethos with me.

If I should mention creative individuals whose work I like, love, or admire, they would have to be: Igor Stravinsky, Steven McQueen, Andy Warhol, David Hockney, Paul Newman, Richard Avedon, The Beatles, The Doors, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Curtis Mayfield, Paul Smith, Le Corbusier, Helmut Newton, and Charles Eames just to name a few.

Read the full interview here.