Interview

Seunggu Kim

Seunggu Kim lives and works in Seoul, South Korea. He earned his BFA in photography from Sangmyung University, and MFA in visual art from Korea National University of Arts. He thought photographs could show our ‘real world’. He would like to describe how we are living and balance the unnatural elements in the rectangle frame. He thinks his photos show how we get used to and overcome social contradictions.

Seunggu Kim, please introduce yourself

Hello, I am a Korean photographer, Seunggu Kim. I'm observing what happens in and around a city.

 

Where do you live, does your place of residence inspire you to take pictures?

I live in Seoul. What I see, feel, and think in this city is becoming the subject of my project.

 

Do you have a photographic background?

I studied photography at Sangmyung University and earned an MFA in photography at Korea National University of Arts.

 

How comes that you are interested in photography?

It was good that I could express my thoughts in detail with photos. The process of investigating, observing, thinking, and shooting about a subject is enjoyable.

 

Which photographer has inspired your photography?

Joel Sternfeld’s American Prospects, Joachim Brohm’s Ruhr, and Richard Misrach’s photos.

 

Why do you work in black and white / color?

I am interested in what happens in reality. Color photography is suitable for a realistic description of what I see and think.

 

How do you prepare for a photo?

I investigate the subject of work and think it's worth shooting as a subject. I choose the good season, weather, and time, then select the viewpoint.

 

What are your technique and the creative process?

I value consistent documentary photographic idiom which explores and expresses social phenomena based on photographic recordability for the long term. I order a lot of 4x5” film and continuously shoot photos and carry out the process of developing, scanning, retouching, and printing.

 

Which projects would you like to tackle?

A long term project in which each series gathers to reveal a contemporary life.

 

What do you do in your life besides photography?

I teach photography at the Korea National University of Arts.

Thanks a lot Seunggu Kim for the Interview

Jingyeong Sansu by Seunggu Kim (01) Mt. Seodal, 2014
Jingyeong Sansu by Seunggu Kim (33) Suite 5, 2020
Jingyeong Sansu by Seunggu Kim (36) E-Pyeonhansesang, 2019
Jingyeong Sansu by Seunggu Kim (32) Mt. Bukhan 2, 2020
Jingyeong Sansu by Seunggu Kim (19) Prugio, 2019

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