On Elia Vargas:
There is a breadth and unique sense of engagement in the video documentation style of Elia Vargas that extends beyond the traditional framework of a documentary. His subject matter broadly encompasses local and international events, interviews, and personal narrative, while his visual and audio techniques give the viewer a layered sense of presence and engagement. Elia speaks of being driven by both a compelling desire to document, and an inherent belief in story telling. While one could be said to compromise the integrity of the other, there is a clear fusion of the two in his work, revealing a consistent and focused interest in individuals and in capturing individual moments.
When Elia talks about documenting, he speaks about “experimental documentation,” about “documenting while going off a feeling” in order to convey “the uniqueness of a moment.” When considering the range of subjects Elia explores, you begin to see not just an interest in the culture and story of people, but the culture and story of sound, and how these elements connect.
-Nif Hodgson