People • 14 September 2003

On the spot with Peter Paul Barbara

The drydocks brings to the fore a myriad of images ranging from huge hulls to political friction and controversy. The legacy of the drydocks as a hotbed for social and political activism clouds the atmosphere as to the true nature of work conducted there. Work that is as dangerous as much as it is interesting.
In his photographic exhibition, Peter Paul Barbara goes beyond the clichés, the common images that characterise the drydocks and presents us with a selection of moments, details and scenery that is breathtaking. Here, Peter Paul gives us an insight into the artist he is.
What inspired you to become an artist?
I started viewing photography as an art from an early age. I was still 15 years old when I bought my first SLR camera. In fact it was my sister Lynn who bought it for me and paid for a course the following summer from her first salary. At that time equipment was very expensive. My father paid for the developing of films. At that time I used to be an active member of the Malta Ornithological Society and I started to use my camera extensively during outings in the countryside. My wife Doreen helped me widen my experience and give an added artistic touch to my work.
How would you describe your
photography?
I cannot really describe it but my clients like my work and my style. People sometimes point at work and ask me if it’s mine, so I guess I have developed a style of my own, both in abstract art as well as industrial photography, a field which I specialise in. Each assignment related to this aspect of photography is a challenge to me. The work currently on show at the GWU’s art gallery, Gallerija Liberta, is an example of this. The feedback I got when I exhibited this work in Brussels (and two months later at
St James Cavallier), was very positive.
What emotions does your photography instil in you?
Emotions? That is a good question. Photography (although it may be regarded as painting with light) is not like painting especially when dealing with emotions. One must make a distinction between photography and photographic art. For me, my photography is the medium I use to express myself. However, this would be far more difficult then painting. For the latter, canvas, paint and brush are readily available and the artist can express him/herself quite easily. In photography it’s different and when you feel the need to express yourself or your mood it won’t be easy. Especially if that mood is an instantaneous one! You have to go out and search hard for a subject or something that could relate to your mood.
What do you do besides photography?
With my current employment I seldom have any free time. Even in my full time employment, which is that of an Assistant Director at the International Office of the Malta Centre for Restoration, part of my duties include lecturing our B. Cons. students in Applied Photography for Cultural Heritage. Otherwise in my free time, I paint (watercolours), read, go to the movies and travel, time and money permitting.
What are your future projects as regards photography?
Organising a photographic exhibition is quite expensive, especially since I catalogue all my work in the form of a printed brochure. This current exhibition cost me around Lm4,000 in total. Although a great part of it was sponsored, sponsorships are hard to find these days. I have ideas and am ready to print work, which I intend to exhibit, but this will happen depending on the money available. I am also working on a couple of books, one of which would be an extensive retrospective of my work.
If you ruled the world, what would you ban?
Use of drugs, animal hunting and nuclear arsenals.
What’s your biggest phobia?
Don’t recall having any.
If you were invisible for a day, what would you do?
Attend a cabinet meeting.
Your best friends would describe you as...
Moody and perfectionist to the point of irritation.
Someone hands you Lm10,000. What would you spend it on?
Travelling, furniture and more equipment.
What do you want to be remembered for?
My photography.
What’s the worst insult one can throw at you?
Telling lies on me behind my back.
Do you have a nick name?
My friends used to call me Benji.
Are you a coffee or a tea drinker?
Tea drinker.
What’s been the highlight of your career so far?
My input whatever that may have been to see Malta as a member of the European Union and my first exhibition outside the country.
How old do you feel?
20 years old.
What are you like when you’re drunk?
Laughing my head off and playing the fool.
Do you consider yourself an introvert or an extrovert?
Definitely introvert.
Live long or live fast?
Live fast.
Tell us a recent dream
I can’t recall any.
What’s the most bizarre thing you have ever eaten?
I’m very careful with my stomach so I haven’t eaten any bizarre stuff.
Are you good at keeping secrets?
Yes, a lot.
If you had a time machine where would you go?
I would first visit the grandeur of the Roman Empire and then I would have to travel about 100 years into the future.
If you could star in a movie which genre would it be?
Definitely action, especially political thrillers.
Do you believe in the supernatural?
I don’t really, although sometimes I do. I have mixed feelings on this, but the subject intrigues me for sure.
You’re stuck in an elevator with strangers: what do you do?
Try to calm the situation if there is panic, but it also depends on what kind and type of strangers are stuck in the elevator.
Are you a workaholic?
Those around me tell me that I am. I usually end up sleeping late in the early morning about 2.30-3.00 am.
What are you most afraid of?
Losing my sight and financial burdens.
Would you quit a job without having another one lined up?
Sure. I have done it before and will do it again if I have to. For me to have a feelgood factor at the office or wherever is of great importance since I work a lot. I cannot stay in a job if it begins to suck or get boring. I change jobs quite frequently I must say. Doing a lot of different things during this short miserable life is important to me as it is important to meet new people and make new friends.
What’s your most embarrassing moment?
I was at one of my exhibition openings and one of the frames fell with a bang.