Alex Kilbee    

Art Photography

 

 

Paul Biddle - b. 1952 Birmingham, U.K.

 

Alex Kilbee Biography.

 

 

Alex received his formal photography training at the Pretoria Technikon School of Art's Photography School in the early 90's -a preiod in South Africa when the country was in turmil and everyone with a camera wanted to be a photojournalist. While people were taking to the streets in their thousands protesting against the apartheid government, Alex was there with his trusty Canon A-1 shooting images for prosperity. Initially it had been Alex's dream to be a photojournalist.

'I wanted to capture the world like James Nachtwey or Sebastiao Salgado, but soon discovered that there were whole other areas in photography for me to explore. I took the inspiration for my styles from them and moved into different realms as I was exposed to new methods and forms of photography' Alex says.

 

Even today the influence of these and other photographers can been seen in Alex's work. Tough he has a definite style of his own he freely admits that his work is influenced enormously by photographers whose work he respects. The resultant images aren't merely copies of other photographer's styles but a sublime mix of styles all coming together in one place.

 

'Initially when I began my career in photography I wanted to be a photojournalist, but being in a photography program that covered all aspects of the craft I had the opportunity Alex Kilbee is a South African based fine art photographer who has travelled extensively through Europe, Africa and the US capturing the scenes which present themselves to him.

 

to shoot images I never had before.  Over the course of the three years my style developed into a weird mix of Ansel Adams landscapes coupled with Anton Corbijn's sense of composition with Salgado's humanity. Very few photographers I feel have one style through out their careers. It's a molten, living thing and we have to sometimes simply be it's slaves and let it take us where it will'

 

Recently in conversation with another artist based in the US, Alex was introduced to Holga photography. An area he has entered with great enthusiasm.

 

'When I first saw Maria's (Maria Janosko) Holga images of San Francisco I was immediately struck by their raw brilliance. I have been a huge fan of pioneers of photography and their images and I was reminded at once of those images. Blurred, out of focus, light leaks, scratched film. It looked wonderful and I couldn't wait to get my hands on one of those weird plastic things and rediscover the pure joy of image making.'

 

While Alex freely admits he is in love with his modern equipment he also has this to say;

 

'Sometimes I can become consumed with my gear and it is such a relief to throw off the encumbrances of our modern equipment and focus purely on the image.  Holga photography for me is all about simply seeing an image and trusting to the gods of photography. I can only imagine it feels something like when Niépce watched his historic image develop. Creating technically perfect images is something we take so much for granted these days, that it's exciting to be at the mercy of your equipment for a change and to feel the thrill once more of not knowing what you going to get till you develop your film.'

 

Alex's work continues to evolve and grow. His fascination with urban detail is one such example.

 

'I always wanted to be an architect when I was younger, but I followed the path of photography. When walking in cities I am constantly drawn to the shapes and patterns that out modern life creates all around us, but is so often overlooked. I love discovering these unique patterns and placing their harsh forms into my images.'

 

The same could be said of his rural landscapes. By placing man made objects into the scenes we are reminded that man has made a huge impact on the world around us and unlike our predecessors the objects we place don't fit into the landscapes around us.

 

The decay of abandoned farm houses reminds us that the land will claim back all that is placed on her.

 

'I find there is nothing quite so wonderful to my eye as an old abandoned farmhouse, or rusting car. To see something that was once a home being slowly taken apart, brick by brick by nature is touching and inspiring to me. My photographs are a final goodbye to that building, something for us to look at and remind us of what once was.  Dwellings and shelters give us so much, so I feel it's only fitting that there should be a record to their existence once their are gone'

 

Looking towards the future, what are Alex's plans?

 

'Currently I am Director of an online stock image library called 'ImageBase' (http://www.imagebase.co.za). Also I have dipped my toe into the world of rock photojournalism. A little childhood fantasy of mine coming true. Already I have had the pleasure of photographing Metallica and other well known acts.

 

My artistic work continues to develop and there is a major exhibition of my work in the pipeline for the middle of this year. '