Justin Kimball is an American photographer
Episode 361: Justin Kimball and I finally managed to meet and speak about his new book, Who By Fire, published by Radius Books, and other book projects and his overall background.
I first came across Justin’s work with his beautifully haunting book Elegy, also published by Radius Books. I found the work to be a compelling picture of America at the crossroads of post-industrial decay. It gave me a sense of unease without pushing me down the rabbit hole of depressive oblivion. I think of Kimball as a passionate observer of America’s condition, however improbable or difficult that position is. His illuminating photographs relate to the contemporary discourse about how we see America versus how it sees or is used to seeing itself. The results point to the cracks in the facade without giving over to full-on apathy regarding the reality of this condition.
Who By Fire is a similar continuation of the themes found in Elegy, but people become more of the conversation than the environment that Justin photographs through the Northeast. It asks us to consider the human element that haunts America’s strange psychological isolation throughout the past decade, with opiates, Trump, and labor finding their way into the discussion to great reception. The books are pretty prescient; again, Justin’s position is to observe and illuminate, not pass judgment or dwell in apathy. Throughout the conversation, we spoke about America and the photographs that Justin has produced. We talked about their significance and the position that the country finds itself in. It was a great conversation. Please Tune In.
