Everything started soon after moving to the USA from the Philippines. Artist Geloy Concepcion was about to quit photography when he decided to find a way to offload a folder of "unsuable film snapshots". Remembering how he liked to wander around Manila searching for walls spray-painted with words by strangers, he decided to “vandalize” his own photos. The text would come from a very simple question: “What are the things you wanted to say but you never did?”. That was the beginning of a project that has now evolved in a collective artwork, where Geloy weaves together hundreds of submitted anonymous photos and confessions, creating some of the most moving, raw and powerful images on social media. Here's our Q&A with the artist.
Tell us a little about yourself.
I’ve been making a living as a photographer for almost a decade in the Philippines until 2017 when I moved here to the USA. My work was put into a forced hiatus due to some delays in my immigration status but that gave me the chance to take pictures for myself and not for others. Now I enjoy taking pictures of my life as an immigrant and husband and as a father.
How did the project "Things You Wanted To Say But Never Did" start and how did it evolve?
It’s a long story. But everything that happened to me ever since I moved to the USA led me to create that project. Beginning of 2020, I was on a brink of quitting photography and I saw one of my folders with almost 500 “unusable film snapshots”. I told myself to try one last project, and I was looking for a way to use these photos. Then I remembered I posted the question “What are the things you wanted to say but you never did?” on my Instagram stories back in November 2019, and got like 30 answers. The idea of writing strangers’ words over photographs came from vandalized walls. When I was still in the Philippines, me and my best friend Geric would wander around the streets of Manila, looking for vandalized walls with phrases written by a stranger. I’ve always felt the strange and raw connection every time I see phrases on walls written by someone I don’t have any idea of. In the first phase of the project, I started using my own photos because one of the main reasons why I started the project was just to offload my film photographs. But then it started to grow, I started to receive hundreds of messages weekly, that’s when I realized that the project is not owned by me alone. It has become a project of strangers. That’s when I started to accept photo submissions.
Why is it important that the messages and images are anonymous, even to you?
The first reason is that I think having anonymity makes people more open and honest about themselves. And the second reason is that I think the idea of not knowing the author makes the project more fluid and inclusive. It can be none of us or all of us at the same time. It can be me, it can be you.
How do you pair a text with a photograph?
I read the notes, pick ten from them, then I will look for photos to pair them (usually by feel). I don’t have any specific system, I just always try to cover a wide range of topics because one post in Instagram is just limited to 10 images.
What kind of thought process do you hope to elicit in the viewer?
That our struggles, the ones we usually don’t talk about, all of them, are valid. Regardless of age, status, race, gender we all have these thoughts in ourselves. We are all connected by these experiences. We’re not alone.
What’s the impact of those shared messages on yourself and your personal life?
It makes me more understanding of where someone is coming from. Usually, the notes that kind of nudge me are the ones that are directly talking to me. I just really feel the connection sometimes.
How did your collaboration with Italian singer Marracash come to be?
I was contacted by Paola Zukar of Big Picture Management and told me they like what I’m doing and asked me if I would like to be a part of Marrracash’s new album. Then I learned about Marracash and I listened to his songs. I used google translate to understand his songs, I believe in what he’s trying to communicate so I told them I’m down! And everything went from there. They are all nice and really fun to work with. They send voice messages and I really felt the connection even though we work remotely. It was a lovely experience.
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Did you understand or discover something about yourself doing this project?
Being a documentary/portrait photographer, I have never thought I could create any project without a picture of a human face or an individual in it. This project made me realize that I have to look past the idea of just being a photographer, that I have to ask myself why do I want to be a photographer, which is to communicate, listen to someone and share their stories. And that it’s possible to do all that without even actually photographing someone.
Do you think photography is a universal language?
Yes, but it comes after Music and food.
How did you first get interested in photography and why?
I started out as a street artist when I was in college, and that gave me the reason to move around the city a lot and meet strangers. From making murals, my focus shifted towards the people I meet along the way, and wanting to share their stories made me look for a more intimate and medium. That’s when I started to bring a camera.
What is photography for you?
My definition of photography evolves with me as I enter new chapters in my life. When I was younger, I’d like to believe that my photography can change the world, start a revolution, massive things like that. Now being a family man, I mostly take pictures just to capture these small moments of my life, my family, and the people I meet, moments I want to remember. I take pictures to remind myself I’m still here. I don’t know what will photography mean to me in the future it may go back to my belief when I was younger or maybe not. I don’t really know. But one thing that never changed is that photography is a medium to communicate. To others, and to myself.
What is the picture that made you fall in love with photography?
Nobuyoshi Araki’s photo of her wife lying on a boat. It’s from his series “sentimental journey”. That’s the first image that made me realize that you can use photography to such a personal degree.
Photography and memory are closely intertwined - How much of of a role did photographs play in constructing your personal identity and history?
My mom would always joke about it saying “Maybe that’s why you became a photographer because we didn’t take a lot of your pictures” I have very few pictures from my childhood so I usually just rely on stories and just try to imagine an image. I think photographs play a big role in someone’s identity and history. Pictures are proof that someone/something existed. Sometimes, you see an image and suddenly you can remember everything that happened in that photo vividly. And memories, you can always go back to it whenever you like. But you also have to remember that when you go back to memories, you’ll be the only one there. But that’s ok I think.
What are the underlying influences in your work?
I love listening to people. Building real long or temporary connections. I love the idea of taxi drivers being able to hear different stories from strangers. Radio DJs listening to a caller’s story. I love taking pictures of someone as they are.If you’re asking my influences: Diane Arbus, Basquiat, Jim Goldberg, Mary Ellen Mark, Santiago Bose, and a lot more.
It’s a time of uncertainty and political polarization, what is the role of the artist, the role of beauty? Do you feel a responsibility?
Having social media on the rise, with overflowing information. Most people now decide what to read from the image they see. Visuals are the main deciding factor for the viewers to even try to read the words. A really huge responsibility for image-makers. The role I think is not just to reflect the time but also we have to have a stand.
Did the impact of social media affect your work?
Yes. Being in my position for the past couple of years as a stay-at-home father, my only way to reach people with my work is through social media. The project “Things you wanted to say but never did” that connected thousands of people from different countries started in our small family room. And it’s still being operated inside our room, I work when everyone’s asleep. It’s just me, my computer, my scanner, my printer, and my iPad.
Do you think there's power in being vulnerable?
I believe so, I think being vulnerable creates more space to learn and understand one's self. And I think the more we understand and accept parts of ourselves, the less we fear what others will think or say about us. I think that gives us power.
Do you think that sharing these raw, honest moments on social media can lead to real change?
I think most people now have two versions of themselves, the one in cyberspace and the one in the physical world. I think we have to try to understand that they both exist and are real. They are both valid. Cyberspace is not a “fake” world. I think it’s just another reality for some people. Sometimes, The only thing some people have to be openly vulnerable is social media. I don’t know about “real” change. But for me, if being vulnerable on social media makes you feel better I think that’s what matters most.
