Talk about nominative determinism! Pho To was named by his parents in memory of his great-grandfather, who had never picked up a camera in his life. Very different to Pho To, who has become one of the best photographers du jour.
“I didn’t realise there was anything special about my name until I came to England to study veterinary science and sculpture at Chelsea School of Art. I soon lost interest in both of those subjects when I first picked up a camera, owned by a friend who was giving away everything he owned as an art piece. I gratefully took it and have never looked back.”
Pho has an unusual way of working. “I work in all manner of ways. Currently I have been using a manual camera, which I set to random settings before every picture. I have no idea how each picture will come out. Sometimes I even leave the lens cap on to further intensify the sense of the unknown that my photos give.”
Sheer brilliance. I saw his exhibition in Richmond of forty beautiful images, all entirely out of focus, blurred or impossible to decipher for any number of reasons. I have not seen such brilliance since I myself was taking photos.
Carpa Stankle, art critic and winner of the 1987 Best Photography Award at the Belgravia Photography, gardening and firearms fete (the forerunner of the famous Belgravia Flower Festival)