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"He had forgotten to push the button down before rewinding the film," says Winni, who operates 3-AM in San Francisco. "I started shooting with it and used it for years and years." Winni's experience of figuring things out on his own set a precedent for his career. After a year and a half at a German photo school, he picked up and moved to San Francisco. "I wanted to do the things I was interested in and that included design. So I just started doing a bunch of odd jobs and got a computer," he says. After teaching himself how to design, Winni hooked up with a few record labels that led him to create a full-time job. A client list that includes Epitaph/Anti Records, Fat Wreck Chords, DreamWorks Records, Red Herring Magazine, San Francisco Magazine, and Paper Magazine, speaks for Winni's self-taught success. In addition, he designed Tom Waits 'Blood Money' CD and 3 AM's Web site, which was selected for PDN's Photo Annual 2002. Winni spoke to Altpick.com about his work from his home/studio in San Francisco.
As a teenager I was really into literature. I started off reading but never paying attention to the typographic details. Then I found myself drawn into the way a book was designed. I started going to the library to study the typefaces of different books. I was also very into music and I put out a punk rock magazine that I designed with the help of a copy machine. I shot alphabets with my 35mm camera on lithographic film and blew them up in my darkroom. Back then there weren't any computers around, and I couldn't even afford transfer type. So I did a lot of cutting, copying and pasting. Do you play an instrument? I sang. I had my own band. The first album cover I did was for my own band. After that I started doing a few things for local bands and labels. That was back in Germany where I grew up. You seemed to be on a good track. If you had stayed in Germany would you be doing the same thing today? I think the things I started doing here would have been difficult for me to pull off in Germany. I think in Europe people place more emphasis on your education and resume. It is so much easier here to be your own independent freelancer and start your own business. I think it would have taken me a lot longer in Germany because everyone goes through this long education process. I don't think I would have lasted at such a slow pace. You mentioned your freelance work with record labels led to a full-time job. Did you specifically break from that to start 3AM? When I moved to the States in '92, I did freelance design and photography on the side. But I never thought it would be something I did for a living. I figured I'd be doing projects that I was really interested in, and my personal photography in my free time. And I wouldn't have the pressure to compromise just to make a living. All of a sudden I kept getting all these design jobs and I couldn't find time for much else anymore - so I quit my day job and jumped right into it. I started 3AM, and being a designer became my day job. And I continued to do my photography as one of my passions.
It came from long nights of working. I actually enjoy working at night when there are no calls interrupting you and you're completely drawn into what you're doing without even thinking about when to stop. Often I'd end up at 3 a.m. winding down, reflecting on what I've been doing all day. And sometimes I have some really good ideas at that time. You do a lot of work for record labels. Having been in a band, do you feel that increases your insight into these types of projects? The band thing happened a really long time ago, so I'm a bit removed from that. But being involved with music most of my life really helps because it's something I can relate to and connect with, and it's something that continues to inspire me every day. It's interesting though that there are certain projects I work on where I feel transformed into my youth again. I'm sitting here cutting up type by hand, using sandpaper on it - all techniques I've been using since I started designing and continue to apply to certain projects over and over again. How has the prevalence of computer technology changed your work? When computers started becoming more accessible there was a big discussion about design. You saw a lot of bad design, and design that was based on technology. Every time there was a new Photoshop filter people started using it. If you are familiar with the technology you could tell right away. Really good design is not based on technology. For me it is just a timesaving tool. By saving time I can actually experiment a lot more, which gives me the freedom to try new things.
Recently, the photography I have been doing has been for fine art. And it took me a long time to actually go out there and put a portfolio together. I started to show some of my work in galleries. You recently had some photographs exhibited at the Juice Design Show. What was the theme? The theme of the show is "all about music," so there is a lot of band photography, and there are some political pictures in there, too. I showed a lot of my work from the early eighties and back then music was a lot more political. There were a lot of antiwar demonstrations in there. How would you describe your philosophy towards the work? With my design work I usually do a lot of research before I start the project. I'm trying to become familiar with the subject and look at what's been done in that field, and, if possible, try and go in a different direction. While working, I believe heavily in intuition and accidents. That often leads me astray from where I wanted to go - but it adds a fresh and spontaneous quality to the work. - Contributed by Mary-Beth Holland >> See more work from 3AM >> See other member spotlights on the member spotlight index >> Find out more on how to become an altpick.com member |
