Interview With CXIII Magazine Creator Ashley Joncas

I had the privilege to be able to contact Ashley Joncas, the creator of CXIII magazine for an email interview.

1. Tell us a little about yourself….

My name is Ashley Joncas and I am 21 from a small town in New Hampshire. I’m a full time Graphic Design student in the Boston area by day and the rest of my time is dedicated to as many artistic projects and work as humanly possible. I’m fueled by art and coffee

2. Who is your favourite artist/photographer/fashion designer?

My favorite artist is Brian Viveros, who I was lucky enough to work with over the summer. I adore his work and their underlying messages of strength and power. My favorite photographer is Rankin. I pretty much worship the ground he walks on and I look to him as an inspiration on a daily basis. And my absolute favorite designer is McQueen. Each garment is like an art piece which I find refreshing.

3. What kind of music do you like and do you think that it influences your art?

Oh I am a complete music crazy lady. I listen to so much! And it does really influence my work greatly. Right now my Ipod is this mix of Iggy Azealia, Kanye West, The Dead Weather, Muse, Deadmau5…I mean..everything under the sun except country. Lately I’ve been addicted to going on Soundcloud and finding really talented almost underground artists who do original tracks and mind blowing remixes. I get so inspired by music in general though. I’ve come upon my greatest ideas laying upside down with my Ipod on, just kind of visualizing the words and interpreting them in my head into a photo spread or picture.

4. Who or what inspired you to create CXIII Magazine?

My inspiration for the magazine came from complete frustration actually. I had spent years reading and studying international fashion magazines. I looked at everything from typography to print size and all of the artistic elements, like the aspects of creating a visually successful editorial. Of course, my instinct was “hey, I want to work for one of these magazines one day! That would be cool!” And cool it is, but those teams of stylists and photographers, editors, writers, designers…they most likely work their butts of for years until they get to be a part of it. As I sat in my classes last year, learning about things that were somewhat useless to what I really wanted in life, I just had an “aha!” moment. Instead of waiting for someone to bestow upon me that sacred dream job, why not just take charge and create my own until that day comes? So that’s what I did. I spent the rest of the semester studying fashion publication while I wasn’t in class. While everyone partied until they passed out I worked and gathered information. I think it’s one thing to aspire to work for a magazine, but until then, if you can create your own and you want it bad enough, do it. Also, I had been blogging for a year and really wanted to have a professional platform to show images that most represented my work, instead of the typical outfit of the day kind of thing. I just really believe in working hard for what you want and I wanted more than anything, to be taken seriously in the creative fields I pursued, instead of just looking cute in a minidress or latest tee.

 

5. Is creating a magazine easier and harder than you imagined and would you encourage others to do the same?

It is incredibly time consuming but for me it’s worth it. You have to be very disciplined to take it on and be willing to basically give up your social life and spend all nighters working on layouts and messing with picture dimensions. Yet, if you have the fire in you to do great things, then take that passion and make something great from it. Also, be prepared to feel like giving up. A magazine is comprised of multiple highly detailed oriented areas. You have to be good with writing, graphic design, overall creative directing, contacting and PR, and then of course if you do photography, add that in and you have a full time job.

6. Who is the target audience of the magazine?

When I began to really conceptualize the magazine in my head, I saw it as this really modern, androgynous compilation of strong visual and global talents that spoke to the future of our creative world. I didn’t want it to be cutesy or teen trend driven. I wanted bold, raw, dark, and cater to an audience that respects that feel and aesthetic. I never like to put an age range on who exactly reads it though. Age is just a number, art is a vision and feeling no matter how long you’ve been alive to appreciate it.

7. Which artist would you most like to feature in the magazine?

I would love to feature Rankin. He is like a god. That probably sounds creepy, but the man is insanely talented!

8. Where do you go/ what do you do to get inspiration for the magazine?

I usually draw a lot of inspiration from music videos actually. Or runway shows from 3 or 4 years ago, or even just walking around aimlessly until I see a texture or color that I find interesting. The actual color palette of the magazine, which is very monochromatic with a hint of this dirty teal, was inspired by the combination of a music video and a water fountain I saw in a doctor’s waiting room. With each issue, I am trying to establish a general theme or title also, that encapsulates the vibe.

9. Do you think that because many of the images in the magazine are self portraits, that this will have an effect on the audience and the way that they view the magazine?

 Hopefully that isn’t really something they care about. I mean, I run the entire magazine on my own, so for me to find a slew of professional models while I’m balancing piles of homework and client work and a blog, is near impossible. I want the magazine to be ultra sleek and edgy, and it’s also hard finding people in my area who will go to that level of avant garde and be comfortable with it being out there for the world to see. But I am trying to relocate soon so I’m sure once I’m in a bigger city, finding experienced models will be a breeze. I’ve always felt more comfortable behind a camera so my long term goal is to eventually end up just behind the lense.

10. How do think that the magazine has/will affect your work as a photographer/fashion designer?

I created this in hopes that it would prepare me for a real fast paced job in a fashion publication position. Many of us go to college and rely on a degree to get us into the doors of our dream job. The fact is that we need to push ourselves far beyond the classroom ( which makes me sounds like some stinky parent, I know!)  It is what we discover in ourselves, on our own, through hard work, that makes us realize our passions. Once you have that momentum to do what you love and get better at it. So, I just push myself to be the ultimate candidate for a position in the magazine world. I don’t want to be famous, or rich, or any of that. I just want to make beautiful things, work with talented people, and afford my rent. (AND COFFEE)

11. If you could take an image of anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

Lady Gaga. I like how she is willing to do anything and she is just so free with herself and her ever transforming looks. I would love to photograph Mother Monster 🙂

12. Looking through your website, I feel that your images, especially for the magazine, seem to linger between being dark and mysterious. Was this your intention?

I love dark. Anything dark. I always have. There’s a certain allure and hollow obscurity about the dark that has been an element I try to incorporate into work continuously. I’ve been extremely lucky to work with so many companies doing shots for products, and somewhat strict guidelines, so when I’m not under rules I am all about the mystery. I guess I’m kind of mysterious in real life to though, so you could say my dark and strange photography is a reflection of myself.

13. Do you think that you work has it’s own style?

For the most part I think it has a tiny thread of similarity running through every picture or piece of art I create. I started out self taught, in photography and editing, so I was lucky enough to develop my own style instead of following a book or set of instructions. If anything, that has helped the most. If you are willing to just experiment and do your own thing, and make millions of mistakes, it results in the greatest growth internally and in your work. You have to practice until your eyes dry out and you fall asleep on your laptop. It takes a few years but coffee has always helped me through it.

14. Do you have any advice you would like to give for the readers (of the blog).

Never underestimate your own abilities. Never settle for normal and don’t wait for someone to give you the “ok” to achieve great things. Go out, make mistakes, and devolope into a strong creative powerhouse. Make sacrifices and know that it will bring you happiness if you work for what you want. I would also say, start young. I’m an advocate of creating a body of work early on in your life instead of waiting until your senior year in college, and throwing school projects together. If I could change the educational system and integrate portfolio building classes way earlier in all curriculums I would. The “art of art” is about the progression of time you take to get to a place in your life where you feel your work is both a reflection of yourself and at it’s absolute strongest. This takes years and years, and since I can’t change the world quite yet, my advice would be to practice, and build up your work early.