Kenneth Mewis (US)

Interview

Los Angeles, California (US)

Please introduce yourself: What is your name, where are you from, what do you do?

Kenneth Mewis, a Belgium born photographer and graphic designer.

What is your relationship with photography and how did you get into it?

After high school (11 years ago), my best friend and I started following a photography course. I quit after a few months because of creative differences with the teachers and decided to teach it myself. As the years passed, I became more and more aware that photography was my true north.

What do you think triggers you to photograph in a certain moment? Is it planned or solely driven by intuition?

Going on walks definitely does the trick. Looking at my surroundings and finding beauty in the mundane. 95% of it is purely driven by intuition, sometimes I have a certain project in mind but I always tend to fall back on just wandering the streets for hours.

What is the story you want your pictures to tell?

Finding beauty in the mundane. An abstract view on the world.

Which city would you like to visit the most, and why?

I feel the most at home in Los Angeles, there's nothing like it. But Tokyo is on my list for sure, I love how it's so structured and traditional, I tend to emulate that in my work as well.

What is your personal relationship to cities and how do you perceive them as places in general?

Wandering around in a city is always interesting, there's a butt-load of photo ops because there's so much going on, so many people to observe (their expressions, hand gestures, ...), abstract lighting on buildings, all that good stuff.

What is the driving force behind creation?

Photography for me is a combination of psychology and visual arts, so you could say I'm an observer of the world, trying to capture raw emotions, certain behaviors and of course, the moment.

Which project did you never finish?

Where do I begin. Been planning on putting out a zine for a while now, photo books, expo's, ...

What is that «one thing» you have never managed to photograph and is now gone for good?

(Black Panther era) 1960/70's Los Angeles.

If you could travel back / forth in time, what advice would you give your younger / older self?

Younger: Don't let anyone tell you what you can/can't do (as cliché as it sounds, it is also very essential). Older: I know you've went through a lot, worked hard to be where you are right now, made a lot of sacrifices, achieved a lot, you are more mature and experienced than I am right now. I am proud of you. I really am. I want you to remember that.

What do you prefer saying: to «take a photograph» or to «make a photograph», and why?

Make a photograph; because you try to capture a specific moment in time based on your own creativity/view. It's from the heart, from the gut, these are images that immortalize beautiful moments.

What is the most interesting experience you have had while photographing?

There was this one time, I was walking in the Mid City area of Los Angeles. I saw an elderly man wash his windows (and it was during golden hour), so the light was set so beautifully on his face through the window screen. I walked up to him and asked if I could capture a photograph of that moment. He was so nice about it and even asked what the right pose would be, but I told him to just continue what he was doing before, as if I wasn't there and it turned out to be one of my favorite images ever.

If it wasn’t for photography, what would you be interested in doing instead?

I do graphic design as well, so there's that. But otherwise it would have to be interior design or work in film.

How would you describe one of your pictures to a blind person?

I would always lead with this: What is in the middle, at the top, at the bottom, on the left and on the right? What is depicted? From which angle is the picture taken? Is it a picture in portrait or landscape format? Ultimately I would describe it as a collection of layers, carefully composed in minimalist aesthetics.

What are you currently working on, and—if there is—what is your next project or journey?

Currently curating my work into a zine/expo, which I have (since COVID-19) much more time for.

Thank you, Kenneth.

Notes

1–21 Kenneth Mewis, Los Angeles, California (US).