statement

angela kleis - photography

I tend to explore two themes in my work: making the viewer uncomfortable and challenging perfection. If a photo makes someone feel uncomfortable, then it has either reached them on a personal level or the subject matter is, itself, awkward or disturbing. This emotion, or feeling, is interesting, as it provides a lot of information about the individual that they may not want to, or be prepared to, share. Sometimes I use the camera as a microscope to investigate my own insecurities which may be difficult to voice in other ways.

At the same time, in the sea of digital perfection, I shoot film. I am drawn to the unpredictability of the film and conditions, the tactile nature of the process, and the potential of the mistakes inherent throughout. A photograph doesn’t have to be perfect to evoke emotion, and oftentimes, it is the mistakes I am most drawn to. Perhaps this is because nothing is ever completely perfect, and I embrace that part of myself. I also just like to see how things end up on film.