Interview: Ammar Al Attar

Sibeel Water & Prayer series       2013

Ammar Al Attar photographs the UAE and makes it his goal to capture the real essence of UAE's culture. I first found his Prayer Room series which I really admired. Al Attar has an eye for composition, featuring stunning geometric shapes in his photographs. He strays away from the shiny rich cities, which everyone is familiar with, and portrays an older, simple, real version of the UAE. In this particular series Sibeel Water & Prayer, Al Attar has drawn attention to the charitable and kind nature of the Islamic religion. Water fountains are present throughout the city, usually hidden, although always available with cold clean water. 

How do you feel about the UAE's growing art industry today?

The UAE art market is still very young and they are working hard in doing programs and events however, I see lack of care to the artists and giving them the time to work on their art, it is good to do education programs and fellowships however if the artists don't have time to spend in making art then no use and these programs will be just for the sake of telling we did this and initiated this!

Do you feel any pressure from being an Emirati artist?
Sometimes I wish I was not Emirati as an artist, because most of organizations and government entities wants you to make free work for them under the umbrella of being a national. However, we spend time and lots of money to produce art so we need something back for our effort that we spend, like any other job they make and they get paid. On another hand, if an artist or photographer is from a different country, they get what they want! Although as an Emirati, we need to show different parts of our country and the spirit of it to the people, also the rituals that is happening without forgetting the contemporary life that we are living.

Do you have any thoughts on the negative effects of UAE's rapid growth?

Well unfortunately the rapid growth made us forget the past and current life sometimes :)

Do you think that the UAE still has its original culture or do you think its being lost?

Some parts yes, but most of the parts it lost it's spirit, honestly, specially when the cultural and historical places go away and replaced with modern business places with very limited place for art and culture then I believe the place will lose its spirituality.

I noticed that you took Business courses in university, does this effect your art life? 

It helps a lot in managing my art from a business side, especially these days where I have to market my art and take care of the business side with the representation of a gallery who sell my work. Unfortunately most artists lack the business part which is essential, especially in this part of the world.

Do you have to search far to find the perfect shot?
Yes sure, sometimes I spend months or sometimes a year in finishing a project. I do lots of research and ask a lot of questions before I have final body of work.

What camera do you shoot with?

I usually use analogue cameras, but unfortunately the analogue films in term of processing and printing is really hard to do hear in UAE specially with labs closing this part of business because they dont do much profit out of it. Thus I need to send all my films outside UAE and that cost allot monthly especially with shipment costs. But on the positive side that makes me more slow when taking photos and think more about my subject.

Who are your favourite artists that you receive inspiration from?
Locally I like the work of the pioneer photographer Jassim Al Awadi. From the fine art side I like Mohammed Kazim, and Nasir Nasrallah, in the region I like the work of Saudi artists such as Abdulnasir Gharim, Manal Al Dowayan and Ahmed Mater, internationally I'm really inspired by the two photographers Stephen Shore and William Eaggelston.