Robert Diament

Is that kind of something that you feel you are, is like a champion?

I think I see you as like a sort of loving champion of all these people's creativity.

Some of my favorite artists create a kind of universe that you can kind of dive into and, you know, it might consist of drawings or music or film or paintings, but it all comes together and creates this other world in a way.

And I feel like through your photography, even though there's very disparate people that you're documenting, you have got this kind of universe.

And I feel like you've shared that with certain people in depth.

So if you think of your collaborations with Nirvana and Kurt Cobain, for example, like I remember the Heart Shaped Box music video and like all of your incredible portraits, particularly of Kurt, of course, because I think he was a troubled, you know, he was obviously quite a captivating person for you to connect with.

Working with them as a specific example, was that more of a collaboration between the two of you?

The reason that video is so important to me is that I think it was a real extension of Kurt's own artistry.

And he obviously painted a lot and would write a lot in journals and things like that.

But I found it really interesting, his kind of approach to presenting what he saw as America.

You know, he would talk a lot about in his lyrics, even, you know, racism or gay rights or misogyny.

And I felt like that music video brings together so many different elements, even abortion rights or, you know, racism in terms of the Ku Klux Klan.

Yeah, exactly.

And like patriotism, but in a pop music video, you know, essentially.

I know it wasn't pop because it was, you know, alternative music, but I found that really powerful.

What was that like to kind of put together as a moving image?

I find it kind of great as well that she was so enthusiastic and involved in Nirvana as well, because I think there was so much misogyny towards her, especially after Kurt passed away.

People would say that he wrote her songs or that he produced the record or that it was all him, when actually she is the most powerful, incredible creative force in her own right.

And I really hate it when like that gets derided and forgotten.

The fact she was having such an input into suggesting you, you know, to make the video to what the ending should be.