Lucas Foglia

Lucas Foglia (b. 1983) was raised on a small family farm in New York and is currently based in San Francisco. A graduate of Brown University and the Yale School of Art, Lucas’ photographs are in the permanent collections of the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Pilara Foundation, the Berkeley Art Museum and the Rhode Island School of Design Museum of Fine Art. His work has been published in Aperture Magazine, the New York Times Magazine, the Washington Post Magazine, British Journal of Photography, Contact Sheet, Wired and PDN’s 30 among others. His first book, A Natural Order, was published by Nazraeli Press in 2012.

View more of his work here 

A Natural Order Statement 

I grew up with my extended family on a small farm in the suburbs of New York City. While malls and supermarkets developed around us, we heated our house with wood, farmed and canned our food, and bartered the plants we grew for everything from shoes to dental work. But while my family followed many of the principles of the back-to-the-land movement, by the time I was eighteen we owned three tractors, four cars, and five computers. This mixture of the modern world in our otherwise rustic life made me curious to see what a completely self-sufficient way of living might look like.

From 2006 through 2010, I traveled throughout the southeastern United States befriending, photographing, and interviewing a network of people who left cities and suburbs to live off the grid. Motivated by environmental concerns, religious beliefs, or predictions of economic collapse, they build their homes from local materials, obtain their water from nearby springs, and hunt, gather, or grow their own food.

All the people in my photographs are working to maintain a self-sufficient lifestyle, but no one I found lives in complete isolation from the mainstream. Many have websites that they update using laptop computers, and cell phones that they charge on car batteries or solar panels. They do not wholly reject the modern world. Instead, they step away from it and choose the parts that they want to bring with them.

Kickstart: Sandra-Lee Phipps

My friend and inspiration, Sandra-Lee Phipps is having an exhibition at one of my favorite galleries in Atlanta, Whitespace. To raise money for the cost of printing and framing her exhibition, she has created a Kickstarter which is now over half way funded. Please watch the Kickstarter video and view the series, Safe, below. I hope you enjoy and consider supporting this great work! 

View more of Sandra's work here 

Support this Kickstarter here 

Photo Friday: Nicholas Pollack

Nicholas Pollack is a photographer working in New York. He received his Bachelor of Liberal Arts from Sarah Lawrence College. His photographs and writings have appeared in The Huffington Post, Narratively, and Daylight, among others. In 2012 he was the recipient of a Brooks Fellowship from Anderson Ranch Arts Center. Nicholas has taught photography at The University of Arizona. He currently resides in Brooklyn.

View more of his work here 

The Bronx River Statement 

My photographs explore the modern landscape. The images are informed by suburban New Jersey and by the struggle to articulate place amongst the strip malls and the wetlands. I aim to discuss the dilemma created by the persistence of romantic, humanist ideals in a technology-oriented world. Rather than illustrate a nature-technology binary, I hope to reveal the complexities of contemporary interaction with our environment. In my recent work, The Bronx River, a small ordinary river, almost hidden by the development that surrounds it, is examined in relation to the people who come to it for a sense of nature.

Clay Lipsky

Clay Lipsky is a fine art photographer based in Los Angeles, California. His photos have been exhibited in various shows including those at the Annenberg Space for Photography, MOPLA and The Impossible Project Spaces in NYC & Warsaw, Poland. Clay has also been published internationally in print and online, most notably with Esquire Russia, Wired Italia, Libération (France), Yahoo! Germany, Fraction, Square, Diffusion, F-Stop, PH and Shots Magazines. He had his own "Ten" series through Jennifer Schwartz Gallery and North Light Press will be publishing an edition of his photos through their 11+1 book series. Additionally, Clay is also an avid self-publisher with several titles that exhibit as part of the Indie Photobook Library. 

View more of his work here

Ashley Kauschinger: Can you talk about how your series In Dark Light began? 

Clay Lipsky: In Dark Light is a special project for me on many levels. It was born out of the desire to do something more than traditional landscape photography while on a two week trip around Iceland, but grew into a passion project that pushed me to grow creatively and personally. I have always been drawn to surreal landscapes and instinctively knew I needed to witness the epic sights of Iceland. Initially I had a vision of this shadowy figure on a journey, a man out of time and out of place but it was just a fleeting image in my mind. Iceland's terrain is already surreal but I thought if I had a character, a protagonist, to help create conflict and tell a story I could hopefully elevate the surroundings into a dreamscape. This direction also was in sync with much of my work that deals with the human spirit and the concept of man vs. world. I have never done self portraits before but the situation demanded it. The baron isolation I encountered there helped me confront my inhibitions of being on camera and simultaneously pushed me to become a performer. My concept was initially unproven, but luckily my first photo test there showed this was a path worth pursuing. The resulting adventure and images became more personal as I found myself surrounded by overwhelming isolation and realized that I was the man out of place and had brought my own personal burdens with me. Ultimately, the project has grown to include other photos and locations, but my time in Iceland helped solidify the core essence of the project. I followed my eye and I guess ultimately my heart. The inherent darkness of the images was not just an aesthetic decision, but a natural inclination that emerged during my time there. When I was presented with the beauty of lush green hills, waterfalls and rainbows I ironically found solemn isolation and cinematic noir. This showed me that there is something internally that causes me to shoot that way and are motivations I would investigate more after the fact.

AK: Is it difficult to openly make work about depression and loss? It is hard to know how much to personally reveal about yourself? 

CL: Initially I did not want the project to be so personal. Instead I wanted to opt for a more poetic slant that was ambiguous and let the viewer make their own interpretations. None of my other work exposes such personal issues, so this too was a new experience for me. I am relatively new to the world of fine art photography and it has been a learning experience and one of art therapy that is ever evolving. Once I sat back and examined the photos, the more I found my real self in there. Ultimately I took a chance and wrote a statement that was very personal, but I think it helps put the series in context and also serves to bring the often taboo subject of depression to light. It is something I have struggled with and it quite obviously influences my work. These are self-portraits, but it's not just about my path. This is about the journey of the individual and using the landscape as metaphor for life's adversity. I do want people to find their own meanings in the images because I believe that most of the concepts expressed are rather universal. 

AK: You speak in your statement about going through loss "under no religious or visceral compass". Do you think that photography is guiding you somehow? What have you learned about yourself through this work? 

CL: Photography is definitely guiding me, more so than I even realize. The process is a series of choices...what to shoot, how to shoot, what to include, what to ignore. There are motivations behind those decisions and some run deeper than others. I have found that I am a complicated mix of melancholy, nostalgia, optimism and somber strength.

AK: How do you find these amazing locations? Do they hold emotional importance to you?

CL: I like exploring the obscure corners of the world. Sometimes it takes flying to an island in the middle of the ocean or driving hundreds of miles into the desert. Interesting collisions happen at the fringe of society and at nature’s divides. For me, I often find a landscape as more than a singular feeling. I see the less obvious stories such as a lone tree fighting to stand against the elements or a canyon formed by a tenacious river that has slowly eroded its walls. Those elements become my characters in those moments. Once you minimize the distractions, you can find the hidden relationships.

AK: You are known for self publishing. What is this process like? What advice do you have for other photographers? 

CL: I enjoy self publishing because it puts photography into a new dynamic. The juxtaposition of images spawns a dialogue whose message is greater than any single image. The editing and sequencing of a book is also akin to writing a song, with highs and lows and ultimately a finish (and a song people may or may not like). The medium also brings photography to a more intimate place with the viewer versus hanging on a wall. We live in an amazing time where there are a wealth of self-publishing tools and I encourage people to make books just for themselves. It is a process that gets the creative wheels turning in terms of content, story, design and presentation.

Photo Friday: Hope Kahn

Hope Kahn is a photographer who lives and works in Cherry Hill, NJ. She has exhibited her work nationally in venues such as Philadelphia Print Center, RAYKO Gallery, and Frameworks Gallery. She has also been published in National Aperture Magazine and Philadelphia Magazine, among others.

View more of her work here

The series, Reveal is a portfolio of my journey into self-discovery. I concentrate on the structure of the photograph integrating the figure into the environment, focusing on repetitive shapes and an evocative mood. I am in search of the quiet spirit of the soul, and the silently powerful, graceful woman. I believe isolation often comes with one’s independence. I believe that strength can be quiet, that fear is just thought, and that contentment is from within.

Krista Steinke

Krista Steinke was born in Richmond, Virginia but grew up mostly in Texas. She received a BA in Art and the Advanced Humanities from Valparaiso University, a BFA in Studio Art from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and a MFA in Photography and Digital Imaging from The Maryland Institute, College of Art. Her work has been included in exhibitions from New York to LA and her time-based work has been featured in film and video festivals around the globe. She has received several awards and fellowships for her work, including an Artist Residency at Light Work, an Image Award from CENTER, Santa Fe, and recently, a 2012 Promise Award from the Sustainable Arts Foundation. Krista lives in the Philadelphia area. Her work is represented by the Schmidt Dean Gallery.

View more of her work here 

Ashley Kauschinger: Were you drawn to living on Purgatory Road because of its local folklore? How did the series surrounding this area begin? 

Krista Steinke: Purgatory Road is a wooded pathway (in some ways it is more like an extremely long driveway) leading up to a cabin by a small lake in rural New York State. This property has been in my husband’s family for generations, and I have spent the past twelve summers living in this area. As a professor, I find the summer months off from teaching to be a critical time in terms of my creative work. During the summer, I try to photograph every day; I naturally gravitated towards this place as a subject because of its haunting beauty and uncanny resemblance to a setting in a children’s story. When I first started this project (approximately twelve years ago), I took a straightforward approach to photographing the landscape. However, over time, I realized I was less interested in producing documentary-style photographs and more interested in using the natural environment as a platform for exploring the metaphorical implications behind the folklore that surrounds this area. It took me about ten years to figure out how to execute this project in a way that felt poetic, and at the same time, evoked a sense of place. 

AK: You use handmade filters to help create the aesthetic of these images. Do you feel this creates a barrier, window, and/or passage between one world and another? Do you create a specific filter for each image? 

KS: I have used the terms “window” and “passage” in explaining this work, but I have not thought about the use of filters in terms of “a barrier” – that’s another interesting read on these images. But yes, the concept of portraying a state of “in- between” (i.e., “Purgatory” – figuratively, not literally) is the main theme behind this series. Shooting through these handmade filters, in essence, is a way to obscure or abstract reality and create an illusion that suggests an intersection between two different spaces – a meeting place where two conceptual polarities collide, become blurry, muddied or ambiguous. 

I have over fifty pieces of Plexiglass sheets that were donated to me by a friend who manages a gallery. These vary in length from 5 inches to 8 feet. I first treat them with various painting mediums and then leave them outside to be weathered by the natural elements. They are rained on, bleached out by the sun, and often become embedded with bugs, leaves, spider webs, and dirt. I love the idea of nature serving as both my subject and collaborator. When I head out to shoot along the road, I load up a little red wagon with photo equipment and a random selection of these Plexiglass sheets. I reuse the filters as needed, and their appearance continues to change as they are banged around and left outside over time. 

AK: This series is exploring several concepts-- legends, stages of life, the unconscious, the in-between, the environment, etc. Are these ideas inspired by personal experiences, research, and curiosity? 

KS: Although never directly autobiographical, my work always seems to parallel the events, questions, and issues that infiltrate my everyday life. Research, curiosity, and personal experience all play a role in how my work develops. For years, my ideas have been framed around my interest in narrative, myth, and metaphor, and it is through “research” that I am able to locate stories that can visually inform these ideas. “Curiosity” is usually what drives my interest in experimenting with the photographic medium and finding new ways to approach materials and techniques. “Personal experience” often sets the tone for my work and points to some underlying emotional influence or psychological impulse that compels me to explore a particular subject in depth. The year that I embarked on producing “Purgatory Road”, my father had a life-threatening health scare and had to undergo serious surgery. Fortunately, the outcome was positive, but the experience weighed heavily on my mind that summer and certainly influenced the creative output for this series. 

In general, I have always been interested in creating multilayered work that can be interpreted through a variety of vantage points. My goal is to present open-ended references or unresolved moments which allow for various levels of meaning or associations to emerge. 

AK: What advice would you give about making a cohesive body of work and the editing process? 

KS: From my experience, creating a cohesive body of work takes time, exploration, revision, reflection, and then more revision. As much as I dislike writing artist statements and grant proposals, I find the writing process to be a critical component in helping me articulate the ideas and intentions that I am trying to visually communicate. My writing changes as the work changes – it is an ongoing, fluid process. The element of time has also been important in the evolution of my work. For me, it has been necessary to give ideas the space to incubate, brew, and ripen. (As I already mentioned, it has taken almost twelve years for “Purgatory Road” to be realized, and the series is still in progress.) 

When it comes to “reflection”, seeking critical feedback from someone with an objective point of view can be extremely valuable. As the saying goes, “photographers are the worst editors of their own work”. With that in mind, I think it is advantageous to seek the support of others who can provide honest, solid feedback. My husband, for example, is trained as a painter and works in digital media. He has a unique perspective as an artist and always seems to find bizarre connections in my work that I would have never considered without his input. (He is also my worst critic, so once I get through a critique with him, I am good to go.) Portfolio reviews are also ideal moments to observe how work is communicating to an outside audience. On average, I like to attend at least one professional portfolio review a year. Preparing for the portfolio review can be a helpful exercise in learning how to strategically edit and sequence work, as the order and the amount of images presented can be critical in how a body of work is ultimately perceived. Finally, in creating a cohesive series, it’s important to remember that not every image in the mix needs to be a home run or stand-alone piece. Images that are small, quiet pauses can be powerful, poignant moments when viewing the work in its entirety.

Photo Friday: Sarah Horan

Originally from the Hudson Valley, New York, Sarah Horan earned her Bachelor’s degree in Visual Arts Education from the State University of New York in New Paltz in 2010. During this time, she consistently worked with the Dia: Arts Foundation in their location in Beacon, NY. She is currently earning her Master of Fine Art Degree in Photography at the Savannah College of Art and Design and anticipates completing her thesis work this upcoming November. Upon graduating, she plans to begin teaching at the college level while continuing to pursue her own creative endeavors.

View more of Sarah's work here

‘Contact,’ is a photographic body of work in which human vulnerability is explored by showcasing the nude form and the immediate space it inhabits. It is instinctual to shy away from sharing the intimate details of our lives and bodies with others, let alone agreeing to be physically touched by a photographic recording device that threatens to expose what it comes into contact with in unpretentious yet uncompromising detail. The bodies of my subjects are indexically recorded with the use of a hand-held scanner. Beyond the few millimeters of extreme detail found in each individual piece, the remainder of the body fades in to a hazy blur, allowing the anonymity of the individual to remain intact. 

Although the act of scanning a nude form is akin to a sterile and callous operation, I approach it as a form of tenderness, resulting in intimate and emotionally charged imagery. I then piece together the individual scans to construct a sense of the whole with the knowledge of never being able to fully reconstruct what had stood before me. Through the fragmentation that results, the forms are as conflicted as they are harmonious.