Process Driven 30: John Keatley

“So much goes into it and I’m finding even for myself the stuff I’m learning or the stuff that’s changing who I am isn’t necessarily reflected visually in the final image.”

One of the first photographers I reached out to when I started recording conversations and podcasting was John Keatley. I was introduced to his work by my friend Kevin and what struck me straight away was how seamlessly John’s commercial work fit with his conceptual photographs. Though each body of work is distinct, John’s eye for detail and his love of ambiguity runs through all of it. While we don’t talk often, when we do I find that the conversations stick with me and often they inform the way I think about my own work as well as the work of others. He’s recently entered the world of fine art photography with a project called UNIFORM that centers around his personal exploration of identity and, as he puts it, “a deep need to be seen.” In addition to a series of limited edition prints, UNIFORM is available as a book, John’s first in fact, and that’s where we begin in this episode.

LINKS
To purchase a copy of the UNIFORM book, visit https://www.johnkeatley.com. For pricing and availability on UNIFORM prints, email [email protected].

The Jim Morrison contact sheet that John mentioned was taken by Joel Brodsky and featured in a show called
CONTACT
at the Fahey/Klein Gallery. See the image at http://www.faheykleingallery.com/exhibitions/contact#5.

CONNECT WITH JOHN
Website: https://www.johnkeatley.com
Instagram: @johnkeatley
Twitter: @johnkeatley

MUSIC
Please Listen Carefully
 (Jahzzar) / CC BY-SA 4.0