For the December feature for “Spotlight Series” I had the pleasure of getting to spend some time with Kevin Claiborne. I met Kevin earlier this year at the opening of Vaughn Spann’s exhibition at Almine Rech snd have been following him ever since. Kevin is an artist and photographer currently based in New York City. After I saw his show this Fall at Thierry Goldberg gallery, BLACK ENOUGH. I wrote about my experience with the exhibition on my weekly favorites in November if you want to know more about that exhibition. Kevin was kind enough to invite me to his studio to get to see what he is currently working on, his wonderful film camera collection and get some more insight into his world. I hope you all enjoy this month’s feature and make sure to see how we collaborated on Instagram!
Oil and Threads: How and where did your love for photography begin? Was there a moment in your life where you gravitated towards the camera?
Kevin Claiborne: I have been interested in photography for many years and cannot remember an exact moment where it became a love. I remember I would shoot pictures while at social events and on vacations because my memory was terrible. Once I started shooting film years ago, I got more passionate about photography as an art form, creative outlet, and mode of expression. Finding vintage cameras to use also became an exciting part of the process as well. Developing a bond with old, fragile tools, and spending time learning how to be intentional about capturing and creating images truly helped my practice.
O&T :This past fall you had a solo show at Thierry Goldberg gallery in the LES, which was a beautiful presentation of your photographs that you took earlier this year at Joshua Tree, with questions and ideas silk screened onto them, along with three sculptures and a video piece. From Instagram, I enjoyed seeing how much time you spent at the gallery while your show was up and interacting with the viewer and getting to spend time with the audience. Many artists don't usually revisit their shows often after the opening day, what made you decide to spend time at the gallery and interact with your viewers? What was one of your biggest takeaways from this experience?
KC: I was interested in seeing my friends and family attend the show and to thank them in person for their support, and I also wanted to observe the ways in which people experienced the work. I was curious to see which works people were drawn to, how long they spent in the space, how much time they spent with the pieces, and which ones they. I also wanted to attend in person to be available to answer questions or offer additional dialogue to viewers about how the works function as a collective body. I enjoyed being able to serve as a resource to the people who took their time to visit the gallery. One of my biggest takeaways from my experience was to always consider the relationship between the commercial aspect of a gallery setting and the content of the works, and challenge myself in my approach to creating an experience where the “work” extends beyond the objects, beyond the walls, beyond physical space(s). I also was reminded that it is okay if your work is not easily understood.
O&T: At your studio, we spoke about the idea of creating an identity and story within one's work, and the idea of how much does one give to their viewer? This idea has been something I have been thinking about since, and why I decided to select the works of Thornton Dial to style for you to photograph, as I was able to get an insight into his life through the works but he didn't feed it directly to his audience, it took time with the work and some prior knowledge of Dial. Moving forward with this new body of collage based works and incorporating your family's story and text, how much do you want to give? As well, ideally what would you want your audience to learn from you?
KC: With my collage works, I am interested in playing with the ways we read images and text when there is no immediately discernible narrative. With the act of layering and altering legibility, I hope that there are new histories that arise from the work. I have been very invested in “gaps in histories”, much like the Great Unconformity in geology, and looking into similar gaps in my own family history. While digging into my family photo archive and history, I am exploring and learning so much about myself and my engagement with “truth” as a concept. I am not sure how much I want to reveal or share in terms of specific details, but I hope there is a connection with others about the universal function of families (the ones we are born into and the ones we choose).
O&T: I had the pleasure of getting to work with you and shoot three different works with you recently. I can't wait to share the images along with this interview, I loved how playful the shoot was and felt very comfortable shooting with you which is not always the case the first time around. What is your approach when it comes to shoots that are planned versus shooting while you are out and about? Are there any inspirations or other creatives that you admire and bring into your process?
KC: When shoots are planned, it’s important for me to do what feels natural and necessary in the moment, and when people are able to feel most comfortable, I like to lean into that. When I shoot my friends, I try to make sure they’re able to fully be themselves and then I just try to disappear and capture them as best I can. It’s always easier when people let their guard down and stop trying to “be” something or someone else. When I’m shooting street photography, it depends on my mood. When I’m protesting, sometimes the camera is secondary to my protest. Sometimes I take a more active approach. I shoot what I naturally gravitate towards and try not to think too much. I shoot the communities and people and environments I care about most, and hope that my love and passion come through in the images. I also rarely show my photographs, so most of what I shoot is just for me to see. I mainly get inspiration through just being outside in the street, walking around getting fresh air. I feel like I’m always inspired but not always in the mood to use the inspiration to create something. Instagram is also a great tool for inspiration, but it’s easy to get lost in everyone else’s highlight reel. I prefer to focus on my own voice.
O&T: As this is a place about the love of Fashion and Art, could you tell me a little bit about your personal style? Who are some of your favorite designers?
KC: I’ve been wearing all black for many years now, mainly because it’s my favorite color, but it’s probably because I’m lazy. I don’t like logos on my clothes, and I choose to buy things that I feel are quality pieces that will last a long time. I used to shop way too much when I was younger, and now, not so much. A designer/brand I’ve been watching for a while is Pyer Moss. I appreciate what the entire team has been creating and they are truly a cultural gem.
