Artist profile: Yimmy Yayo

We recently stumbled across Yimmys Yayo, a website run by Queensland College of Art graduate James W. Mataitis Bailey. The photo blog, which is described as 'visual crack for the ocular fiend', is a collection of some of the most incredible images you will ever see. It is approximately equivalent to letting your eyes get a blow job.


EC: How long have you been running the site for?

YY: Roughly one year. It began as a folder on my desktop to which I was creating a directional reference library of sorts. One day I decided to share the visual ideas I was collecting and the rest is history.





EC: How do you find so many amazing images?

YY: Unfortunately the spoils come from procrastination. Lots of procrastination. I've slowly built up a database of amazing sites, blogs and reference libraries to which I check regularly and always follow their cookie crumbs to other resources. But I don't stick to those, there are always new pages or blogs I've never seen before that will send me off on an exciting visual tangent.





EC: How much of your own work do you contribute?

YY: I've posted only a couple of my own photos, the intention of the site was never to be a portfolio, so I made the conscious decision to keep my own work as separate as possible, but sometimes there are photos that I can't help but share.





EC: What do you look for in an image?

YY: It could be anything. Something beautiful. Colour, composition, subject, contrast or even humour, contradiction etc. The subjects and types of images vary so much, there's always something small that catches my eye in one, that could be completely different in another. I believe a strong visual should evoke an emotional response in some way, shape or form.





EC: Is there any one image that stands out to you as the best you’ve seen?

YY: I would be hard pressed to choose a favourite. I am continually amazed by the new imagery that is out there, but still love the very first images I added to the collection. I would have to make mention of a small series by Scottish Photographer Rankin. The composition, lighting, subject and pure intimacy of the photographs are breathtaking.

- The Rankin Series -






EC: Finally, what do you hope people will get out of your site?

YY: Ideas, inspiration and hope. It started as something so small but has grown exponentially purely from word of mouth and sharing, which was the idea in the beginning.





Yimmy has just moved into the China Heights gallery in Darlinghurst and has some treats in store for Sydney-siders this year. We'll be sure to let you know as soon as fresh info comes to hand. In the meantime do yourself a favour and score some more Yayo here.


EC - Style is a Language