All images by Michael Kenna
 |
| Crypt of the Great Pillars, Mont St. Michel, France 2000 |
Michael
Kenna's beautiful
black-and-white images have been described as haunting, minimalist and
ethereal.
And by his admission, he chooses to examine one or two elements in a
scene,
"instead of describing everything that's going on." His unique approach
to the environment results in simple but powerful photos of
architecture, landscapes and the sea. Born in 1953, in Widnes,
Lancashire, England, Kenna was educated in various schools in England,
and graduated with distinction. In
London, he began pursuing advertising photography in addition to
photographing the landscape that he loved. In 1977, he moved to San
Francisco, where he became an assistant and printmaker for photographer
Ruth
Bernard. Today, Kenna is represented by over 20 galleries worldwide,
and resides in the Pacific Northwest. He is also a very successful
commercial photographer, with an extensive
client list that includes Adidas, Audi, British Airways, Infiniti, Land
Rover, Maserati, Mercedes, Rolls Royce, and Shiseido.
We caught up with Kenna in the midst of his
very busy schedule, and discussed his philosophy, his favorite
subject matter, and how he creates his special type of imagery.
DoubleExposure.com: When did you initially become interested in photography?
Michael Kenna: When I was eleven or twelve, I dabbled a bit and
made snaps of my friends, family, etc., and even learned how to process
my own film and make basic prints in the darkroom. In 1972, while I was
doing a foundation art course at the Banbury School of Art in
Oxfordshire, England, I was introduced to the notion that photography
could be a means of self-expression or visual exploration. I didn't
look back from there. I think curiosity was a big motivator from the
very beginning. the camera just made it easier to realize almost
instant results.
DE: Where did you go to school?
MK: 1965–72 St. Joseph's College, Upholland, Lancashire, England
1972–73 Banbury School of Art, Banbury, Oxfordshire, England
1973–76 London College of Printing, London, England
 |
| Hashikui Rocks, Kushimoto, Honshu, Japan 2002 |
DE: Who were your artistic influences?
MK: I've always found this question impossible to answer.
Everything and everybody in my life has been an influence. I think my
early childhood experiences and environment vastly outweighed any
subsequent artistic influences. I've been awed and impressed by many
painters, sculptors, printmaskers, musicians, dancers, poets, etc. I
can point to some specific photographers such as Bill Brandt, Josef
Sudek, Eugene Atget, Mario Giacomelli, etc., who have had direct
stylistic influences on me, but who can say where the muse ultimately
comes from? I like to think it is within us all. We just need to be
able to press the right buttons. How do we learn? That's where the real
influence comes into play...
DE: How do you create images that are so simple, yet powerful?
 |
| Knights Valley Vineyard, Napa Valley, CA 2001 |
MK: I've always liked to photograph in "conditions"; mist, rain,
snow, etc., where distracting backgrounds are eliminated or subdued.
Sunshine and blue sky have never appealed to me. Too much light tends
to reveal all the details of a scene and I am not interested in a
perfect photocopy. I prefer suggestion over description. I like to use
the analogy of haiku poetry where just a few elements act as catalysts
for one's imagination. Often I make long time exposures so that
detailed water becomes floating mist, clouds in the sky become blurred
masses of tonality and a populated scene becomes empty. The world is
pretty chaotic, seemingly always speeding up and getting louder and
more visually dense. I am interested in finding and/or creating calm
shelters from the storm, places where quiet solitude is encouraged and
inner contemplation is possible. I think we could all use a break from
time to time!
DE: Do you have a preference as to what time of day you like to shoot?
MK: Whenever possible, I like to be up and out early in the
morning. There is something very special about the start of a new day,
the world just waking up and beginning again, perhaps a beautiful
sunrise, rising mist, fresh snow or a covering of frost. There seems to
be many surprises in the early hours. In reality, of course, I
photography at all times of the day and night.
DE: What are your favorite subjects?
 |
| Washington Monument, study 2, Washington, DC 2001 |
MK: I am interested in the relationship and juxtaposition
between the landscape and the structures that we humans leave behind. I
look for traces of the past, atmospheres and stories that are left for
us to decipher and decode. I am attracted to places where events have
happened, or will happen again. The wild and magnificent mountain
ranges do not seem to come out very well when I photograph them. I
prefer intimacy, a suggestion rather than accurate description. I like
to lead a viewer into a photograph and let them linger, and perhaps
wander through their own imagination.
DE: Do you ever photograph people, or include them in your scenes?
MK: I am not a good portrait photographer and rarely include
figures in my photographs. I often use the analogy of the theater.
Before the play starts, when the stage is still empty of actors, and
there are just the props or a curtain, a potent atmosphere of
anticipation seems to pervade the waiting onlookers. I like to think it
is their active imagination at work. When the characters come on stage,
the audience is immediately enticed into the story that begins to
unfold. It is the story related by the actors. I am interested more in
the story of the individual members of the audience. I like to
photograph places where people have been. I like to photograph their
structures, their traces, their stories, but themselves.
DE: How do you choose your locations?
MK: I simply go to places that interest me. One place often
leads to another. I believe that I am quite consistent in what
interests me, but at the same time, the locations vary immensely from
seasides to industrial sites, from formal gardens to frozen landscapes,
from kindergarten classrooms to concentration camps, and so on. I
fortunately like to travel, so I have photographed in many countries
around the world. It has been a great experience which I hope will
continue for many more years.
 |
| Ratcliffe Power Station, study 19, Nottinghamshire, England 1984 |
DE: What camera equipment do you use? Any digital imaging?
MK: I use pretty ancient Hasselblads. I have four or five bodies
because I photograph in pretty rough conditions and one or two are
usually being repaired. I have five lenses and a number of backs for
different speed films. I only take what I can comfortably carry in a
backpack. I use a graphite light-weight tripod, and hand-held meter. I
think that's about it.
 |
| Homage to HCB, Brittany, France 1993 |
I haven't spent much time doing anything digitally yet. I'm really
quite content with the processes and equipment that I currently use.
Perhaps if the manufacturers eventually stop producing the materials I
need, I will be forced into digital. I've had a few old scratched
negatives retouched with Photoshop, and in the commercial photography
world my images are often extensively retouched, but I don't have too
much interest in it for my personal work.
Click Here to See a Gallery of Michael Kenna's Images
DE: Who are your commercial clients?
MK: Do you want the whole list? Adidas, Audi, Bank of America, Beringer Wine, BMW, British
Rail, British Airways, DHL, Hakuryu, HSBC Bank, Infiniti, Isuzu, Jeep
Chrysler, Jo Zen, Landrover, Marubeni, Mazda, Maserati, Mercedes, Moet and Chandon, Nissan,
Powergen, P.S.I., Range Rover, Royal Air Force, Rolls Royce, Saab,
Shiseido, Simpson Paper Company, Spanish Tourist Board, Sprint,
Toshiba, Triumph, and Volvo.
DE: Any upcoming travel plans?
MK: I am scheduled to be in Korea and Japan in January, Italy
and France in February, and China in March...I'm often asked why I
don't photograph locally. Actually I do, a little, but the issue I
think is about spontaneity. I like to work with as few time limits as
possible, nobody watching or asking
 |
| Hermitage Tree, Peterhof, Russia 1999 |
questions, no phones, etc. When I
go to any location, I do not know if I will be there for five minutes
or five days. Inspiration depends on light, atmosphere, subject matter
and how the photographer responds.
Being creative often means following a lead, working on half-chances,
half thoughts, coming up to dead-ends and retracking. Being creative
for me often means photographing things in ways that might seem
completely ordinary at the time, but which may turn out to be
extraordinary later. The inverse happens more frequently. Creativity
means being open, listening to what comes from within and without,
which is very hard to do when you are looking at your watch. It is
important to be focused and concentrated, which for me usually means
being solitary, away from distractions. In long-distance running, one
talks about going into the "zone," a point of total concentration and
relaxation, both at the same time. I think one can find this in
photography and it can be an extremely satisfying and productive state
of mind.
Besides all of the above, I do love to travel, always have and
hopefully always will. There is so much to be seen and experienced in
this world, and we are granted so little time. It is a joy and
privilege to travel and very much a part of my journey through this
life.
To see more of Michael Kenna's work, visit his website at www.michaelkenna.net.
Let us know if you found this article useful, and tell us what kinds of articles you'd like to see in upcoming issues. Send your comments and ideas to the editor.
© Copyright 2010 by PHOTOWORKSHOP.COM
Top of Page
Last Updated: Aug 11th, 2010 - 13:36:44
|
|
|
