A Meditation on the Untitled’ is the title of a selection of works by photographer Kennedi Carter on view at the ROSEGALLERY (Santa Monica, California) until September 2. We took the opportunity to have a conversation with Kennedi, a very talented young artist from Durham, North Carolina, who we have seen grow over the years through PhotoVogue.
How did you become interested in photography?
Kennedi Carter: I first began photography when I was in high school, initially I thought that the course I was taking would be an easy one to pass, but it was not. I actually had to do my research on the photographers that came before me. I became more invested in the practice after this.
What are the driving forces behind your work? What do you see as the central theme in your work?
Kennedi Carter: The driving force behind my work is heavily connected to the central theme that often appears in my work: love, Blackness the South. The three are cemented to one another. I love witnessing how Blackness functions in various spaces, how our culture breathes takes shape across the globe but especially below the bible belt. The South has not only informed my practice but also who I am as a human, and I love photographing spaces that are a byproduct of Southern Black existence.
How was the exhibition ‘A Meditation on the Untitled’ conceived? What projects does it bring together?
Kennedi Carter: ‘A Meditation on The Untitled’ is an exploration of the ways in which Blackness functions within the safety of our own communities, and the ways we go about remembering the moments we feel most free. The amorous moments between our grandfathers and grandmothers, The birth trauma of your aunty, a family scandal. These moments are touch points that connect us to our ancestors and elders, mirroring the contemporary landscape of Black life. This exhibition is an exercise on fabulation, acknowledging events that may or may not have occurred and how to bear witness to the pedigree that lies between narratives of our past relatives and the ecstatic Black experience.
There is power in something as simple as a name, what also accompanies power is pressure. When I was asked to put together an exhibition showing work that I have made from the beginning of my career up until now, I felt it was so overwhelming. Most of my early projects I was making without any true reason. When it came time to title the show, I was quite stumped. I was chatting with my father about an exhibition I held previously, in which none of the works were titled at all. He brought something very interesting to my attention. A lot of context comes from names, many folks become uncomfortable when anything doesn t have a title or even an immediate reason for why something exists. I think that is often the case with the photos I make, I sometimes don t know the reason behind their creation, until later on. Discovering the reason a work I created exists, is often part of my process.
Who are the protagonists of your portraits?
Kennedi Carter: While curating the show, we circled back to images I made of couples who’d never met before, they lended themselves to my camera and helped me stage such tender and intimate moments. I included a few pin up photographs I made over the years. A subsection of the exhibition is dedicated to the work I make with Black equestrians.
Following the emergency c-section that brought my premature son earth side, I was left with physical and emotional trauma. My son lived in the NICU for 82 days. When I was not at his bedside, I was either resting or working, using my practice to digest my birth trauma. I made self-portraits of my body as it stitched itself slowly back together. I photographed myself in a prosthetic belly, embodying the act of fabulation, envisioning a timeline in which I carried to term and got a chance to make just a few more self portraits while pregnant.
.jpg)
.jpg)
Have you ever felt the pressure to perform your artist s identity online?
Kennedi Carter: I used to, but then I realized where my priorities are. I care about making the images I desire to make, I care about being able to fund my practice, I care about my friends, I care about my family, I care about my lover, and I care about my son. There are bigger things I care about than my artist identity, especially online. You can see my identity in my work that love I put out into the planet.
To what extent do social and political issues influence your creativity?
Kennedi Carter: Socio-political issues heavily influence my work in the same way they influence my everyday life. American politics can be incredibly sensitive on a micro and macro level in terms of Government. The beautiful thing about art is that no matter how your surroundings can try to stifle your voice - you can always say what you’re longing for in your art.
What do you think should be done to tackle the lack of diversity in the photography world?
Kennedi Carter: Hold open as many doors as you can, you receive a job that you can’t take or not interested in – recommend a friend that is Black or POC. So much of the work that needs to be done is at a nuclear level, start with your community and that will bleed outwards. Editors: search for photographers in the obscure corners of the Earth. There are so many photographers with a desire to have more opportunities, ask those photographers what they are looking to do and if you have a connection offer it to them.
What has your work taught you about yourself?
Kennedi Carter: My work has taught me that I have so much more to grow and I have so much space to explore. I don’t have to pigeon-hole myself as a one dimensional photographer. I can make images of whomever I would like to photograph.
Do you believe in the power of art to create change?
Kennedi Carter: Most definitely - throughout history it’s been proven that art is a tool that can birth revolutions. Art is the voice of the unheard and the silenced, it always has been and will continue to be.
How did you discover PhotoVogue? From the platform to the festival, how did your collaboration with Vogue Italia developed so far?
Kennedi Carter: I discovered PhotoVogue when I was in college, I began uploading my images then, it almost felt like an online portfolio review. I was able to gauge the trajectory of my work as well and if I was moving in the right direction. I met you at a portfolio review and soon after that, my work has been in two of the festivals. PhotoVogue has definitely helped me in my career as I did not have to be too ‘fashion’ or too fine art, I could present and showcase work as is.
How did you approach the British Vogue’s cover with Beyoncé? Could you please tell us more about this experience? What did it mean to you?
Kennedi Carter: That cover was my first editorial and cover shoot – so I was definitely trying to figure out what I was doing. But that shoot gave me so much insight on how to build an idea. I worked with folks that I stay in contact with to this day and I will always be appreciative for the opportunity. A single shoot shifted the trajectory of my career. As a Southern based artist I think it was necessary to pop up on the scene with a bang.
What are your hopes for the future? What are you currently working on?
Kennedi Carter: I hope to publish a book in the near future, I hope to be the best mother community member I can be, and I hope that my creativity continues to flow as I continue making photos. I am currently working on a book and a few other personal projects that I hope to share in the near future!
