Gay & Lesbian

Gozra Lozano didn’t grow up dreaming of becoming a photographer. Born in the Canary Islands ‘a very long time ago’, he was the middle child of a conservative military family and studied to become a stockbroker. But then he discovered British pop culture and the would-be stockbroker transformed himself into ‘a white-skinned punk goth getting fried like an egg under the Spanish sun.’

Transformation has been a theme ever since. Moving to London, he began working as a make-up artist and developed a keen eye for detail and a client list that included the likes of Marc Almond and Pete Burns. Six years ago, he worked as a stylist on a photographic exhibition devoted to the Dead Or Alive singer-turned-reality TV star. ‘Manmade’ caught Burns at a time of transition, both professionally and physically. Before ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ reminded us just how gobby Burns can be, here he was posing with a man in a medical gown injecting an oversized syringe full of luminous green liquid into his lips. The photographs were playful, disturbing and strangely beautiful.
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Burns also features in Gozra’s latest exhibition at the Green Carnation in Soho, along with Almond and Julian Clary. Asked how he selects his subjects, the photographer replies simply: ‘They have to interest me in some way, in order to create a chemistry. I have an extremely analytical brain and a sick and twisted sense of humour. I can often find beauty in the most unusual subjects.’

He finds celebrities far easier to deal with than you might expect, and can’t remember the last time anyone had a diva moment (bang goes Pete Burns’ reputation as the mother of all divas). ‘The people who have been in the business for a long time are usually the easiest people to work with,’ he insists. ‘They know exactly what is required of them and they do it with very little fuss. It is usually the newcomers who arrive with a big production who can create dramas and delays. This is usually down to inexperience and their own insecurities. But I really can’t remember any particular moment that stands out. I simply don’t react to tantrums.’

When he isn’t photographing well-behaved celebrities, Gozra is busy working on a long-term project he calls ‘London Glam’. He describes the project as ‘a graphic series of photographs which reflect my vision of the most notorious and influential characters of London’s multi-faceted scene.’ Speaking as one of the characters featured in ‘London Glam’, I have to say that I was amazed at how quickly he pulls it all together. There were five people featured in the shoot I took part in, and the finished, highly-stylised photograph suggests hours of artful posing. In fact, the bulk of the time was spent sorting out the make-up. The shoot itself was over in minutes.

‘I don’t consider myself a photographer in the typical sense of the word,’ Gozra explains. ‘I am not a purist and I am not interested in following the traditional routes. I use the camera as a medium to express my artistic vision. I don’t need to spend hours clicking away. I know exactly when I have what I need.’

Celebrity snappers are extremely fashionable these days. Some are almost as famous as the people they photograph. Is this something Gozra aspires to? He laughs. ‘It doesn’t even enter my head. A certain level of recognition goes with the territory, and these days is a necessary evil. C’est la vie! I don’t take myself too seriously. On the other hand, I take my art extremely seriously. Maybe what I do isn’t to everybody’s taste, but I hope people can appreciate that what I strive to achieve is well executed.’

'Gozra Lozano's Photographic Exhibition' can be seen at the Green Carnation until March 18, and at www.gozra.com