David Campany is an artist, writer and curator working in the field of photography and contemporary art
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Episode 46: David Campany is a very important fixture in the world of photography. His contributions to the medium, whether through curating, his practice or writing, have left an indelible mark on our world. He is also an educator. If you have a cursory look over his oeuvre, you can see his incessant and unrelenting output. It is no surprise that David has made many memorable contributions to the medium.
In this episode we talk about a number of things. Importantly, we speak about his new book On Photographs (due October 2020, MIT Press) and his early run-in with Susan Sontag. We also speak about curating his exhibition and book The Lives and Loves of Images for the 2020 Biennale für aktuelle Fotografie in Mannheim, Ludwigshafen, Heidelberg. Though we only touch marginally on exhibitions, we speak widely about their implication and importance when viewing works by artists such as Walker Evans whom David has almost single-handedly paved the way for new interpretations of Evans’ universal appeal. On a personal level, his contributions to the intersection of where photography meets cinema has been profoundly influential on my own work and thinking about images and how they function together and apart.
In having this conversation, he struck me as incredibly open and generous with both his time and thoughts. When you look at his output, one wonders how he has time to give to conversations like the one we had. The prolific nature of his work and his continued interest in the medium serve as a goal post. It makes one realize that with discipline, one can achieve new heights with their work. I know a few people in the field who have this ability to produce, but producing quality is always the question. With David, the quality and quantity are both clear and I, for one appreciate seeing members of our community who continue to push the medium forward with their ideas and discipline.
Please listen until the end. It is perfect feeling of the moment.
