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You might be familiar with @grendel already. Not the mythical beast from Beowulf, but the PHHHOTO user constantly bringing it with new weekly hashtags on WOW that challenge you to create images thoughtfully. We wanted to see if we could unravel the white linens and learn a little more about the mysterious creator/curator.
Who is @GRENDEL?
Well I was @competitivelyqueer, but then I lost. So now I’m @grendel… here and ready to wreck your mead halls.
When did you join PHHHOTO and what drew you to the app?
I’ve been on PHHHOTO for just over a year now. I was introduced by a friend (@alexanikol) and then spent all of last winter experimenting with the app. Since everything was still new and you couldn’t upload external content, PHHHOTO felt like an exploratory space where my friends, random strangers, young amateurs, and photo pros were all starting at square one. The other users were just so excited and supportive that the app felt like a giant playground. It still feels that way to me.
When you aren’t making PHHHOTOs, what are you doing?
I’m currently film-studenting in LA, making short films when I can, and I just started interning with a TV network. Oh, and I recently purchased some new glass tupperware that is turning out to be a great investment. Big things are happening for me right now.
What is it about PHHHOTO that makes you want to use it as a platform for your art?
To me, PHHHOTO is pretty similar to film. Each gif acts like a silent shot, focused in on a single movement. I can’t make a short film every afternoon, but I can take a PHHHOTO anytime I get the impulse or see something that catches my eye. I love that freedom and have found that it keeps me sharp. I’ve probably learned more from using PHHHOTO every day for the past year than I have from taking cinematography classes.
Do you feel like your images are meant to tell a story or are they simply eye candy?
I used to aim at making eye candy with a focus on visual tricks like linked triptychs. Lately, though, I’ve been trying for something in between… non-narrative, but driven by a specific emotional moment. I’m not sure if that comes through, but I plan to stick with it. I have a few ideas for larger, narrative projects that I would love to tackle in the near future.
How do you come up with the content and themes for your own feed?
Usually it’s just a matter of something catching my eye—a color, a shadow, etc. Or sometimes if I’m in some kind of mood, I’ll just hole up in my room with my phone until something comes of it. That’s the work I’m most tied to—the emo stuff where I’ve got a pillowcase over my head and I’m wrapped up in my bed sheets and am using a shoe as a vase.
Where do you draw inspiration for your hashtag challenges?
My tags tend to start with existing content. I’ll look back through my likes and try to find patterns or little aesthetic clusters. I found some cool marco skin shots, so I made #skindeep to celebrate them. Stuff like that.
I also love trying to promote content that breaks rules. My photography teacher used to tell me to never use the camera flash, so I promoted #flashhh to show there were plenty of creators out there who rocked that aesthetic. A lot of people were saying that phhhotos looked best when you isolated small movements, so I created #frantic to argue that there was a place for chaotic content, too.
What are some of your favorite hashtags to lurk on the app?
I check out #pukingpastel, #neutraltones, and #palepalette if I want a quick, aesthetic fix. And then #weird and #scary are always good for a surprise. Mostly though, I look through the massive #wow feed to try and find new content and users I haven’t heard of before. It can be time consuming since there’s so much to sift through, but I think some of the best content is hidden in there, posted by users with less than a hundred followers
Who are some of your favorite accounts?
I really look up to rockstars like @kreep, @jordywordy, @alexanikol, and @soviet who have developed a clear, recognizable aesthetic on PHHHOTO while still maintaining variety within their feed. I just recently came across @_reinaldojose, @draco_malfoy, and @isaiah_ryan and am always looking for new people to follow.
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We’re gonna be dreaming in hexadecimal ‘til the AM. Check out the latest hashtag #midnightchroma to see what @grendel sees.
More of @grendel’s past tags:
#hazzzy
#barbiedreamhouse
#blackvoid vs #whitevoid
#skindeep
#planetx
#eggshellonivory
