A Conversation with Andrew Miksys

imageWatch and Photograph, Lithuania, 2005 © Andrew Miksys Over on Conscientious, Jörg shares a great interview with photographer Andrew Miksys. During the interview, Andrew explains that he believes it is “more respectful to take pictures that show ‘reality’ the way it is with all its flaws and imperfections.” He cites such early photographers as James Van Der Zee, Disfarmer, Lewis Hine, Walker Evans and August Sander – with Robert Frank, Diane Arbus and Larry Clark as a continuation of this direction of photography. Andrew says, “Walt Whitman, Jack Kerouac, and Czeslaw Milosz aren’t photographers but they had a similar approach in their work and were very much informed by their experiences.” I love when photographers reference inspirational literature. Maybe that’s why we all have enjoyed seeing Alec Soth’s poetry selections so very much? “I really like Whitman’s democratic view of the world… that the poet/photographer and his or her subjects are on the same level,” Andrew explains, and leaves us with Whitman’s words:

Who am I that I should call you more obscene than myself.
Read the entire interview here. And if this work interests you, you may need to make some room on your shelf for Andrew’s new book Baxt.