4 minute read
Aaron Lurth
How would you describe your work? I consider myself a documentary photographer, though my subject matter may not be representative of what a typical documentary photographer would shoot. My interest lies in how people interact with the spaces we build. More specifically, I’m interested in how spaces change when we are not around.
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Who/what have been your primary influences? That’s a tough question. My interests really are extremely broad. Though I consider myself an artist, my art thus far exists solely as photographs. So really I sometimes find it easier to just call myself a photographer. As such, I look at and am influenced by mostly photographers. There are four primary photographers I have come to say helped define my interests and shooting style: Hiroshi Sugimoto for his technical mastery and elegantly simple style, Gregory Crewdson for this cinematic use of light, Edward Burtynsky particularly for his work in China, and Andreas Gursky because, well, he’s the man.
How has your work changed during your time at the University? I entered graduate school here with a portfolio of work I did on refugee camps in Malta. My background was in journalism and public relations photography and I thought I would continue to travel to far-away lands and work on telling stories about people. What I really wound up doing was staying close to home and telling stories about places void of people. In a way I suppose you could say my work did a bit of a 180.
Which piece/research/work are you most proud of? My MFA thesis work is the result of two full years of hard –but enjoyable—labor. It’s really the showcase collection of work I will come away with from my time here in graduate school here. I think I’m most proud of that so far.
The art scene in Iowa City is extremely strong.
Can you briefly describe your working process? I suppose my working process is not all that exciting. After I come up with some sort of idea I start location scouting. It just so happens that all my work thus far has been at night. So the location scouting happens during the day, and then I have to come back late at night to see what the place looks like when the sun’s not out. At that point I shoot for a few hours, and then spend a ridiculous amount of time sitting in front of the computer editing, and printing. I usually burn through quite a few episodes of This American Life and RadioLab to stay sane.
How do you see your work evolving in the future? I find as an artist, your work is typically highly influenced by the current situation you find yourself in. I’m not exactly sure where I will find myself after graduation, so I’m not completely sure where my art will take me. Ideally, I have a few documentary project ideas in China, but like all things in life it will take some money to pull off. So we’ll see.
How did being in Iowa City influence your work? I have this professor in the photography program that likens Iowa City to New York City. You just laughed, I know, but here me out. New York City is the artistic and cultural hub of a state that is really nothing like that city at all. Iowa City is very much like that. The art scene in Iowa City is extremely strong, you are centrally located 3-5 hours away from every major city in the Midwest, and the people here are awesome. It’s been a great place to go to school.
I like to think of gardening as a metaphor for the way I develop various bodies of work.
What brought you to the University of Iowa? Three things really. First, this is a highly ranked, extremely reputable art school with a great history, having the opportunity to attend a top tier graduate school was pretty great. Secondly, my goal is to teach at the collegiate level after I get done with grad school and Iowa is known for producing great teachers. Thirdly, the money, ha! I know that’s not a real great answer but I was blessed with a few fellowships and scholarships to come here and that makes a big difference when making a decision on where to attend school.
What are your plans after graduation? I hope to find a professorship somewhere. But in all honesty, in this economy, I just hope I have a job that I love.
What was your most memorable experience at the University? My first day of teaching was pretty darn memorable. There’s nothing like directing your own class completely solo.
What, if anything, would you have done differently during your time in graduate school? If I can give one piece of advice to anyone it’s this: start showing your work in the public sphere as soon as possible. You may not start graduate school producing home runs. Everyone needs some time to get their feet wet and figure out what the heck they are doing. But the thing is, when it comes to getting hired for professorships your exhibition record and teaching experience is key. If you go to Iowa you will most likely have a leg up on the competition on the teaching side of things but the exhibition side is up to you. Plus, the more you show you work the more feedback you get on what you are doing. Win, win.
