Jessie Kolter

 

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I take photographs to become intimate with all beings. I search for myself in my subjects. My photos are spontaneous. I never tell my subjects what to do or how to pose.  Sometimes the subjects are aware of the camera and sometimes they are unaware. Regardless of how the photo is taken, what I look for is always the same.

 

I am interested in vulnerability and mortality. I like to look at things that many choose to look away from such as death. I spent a year working at a hospice sitting with people while they were dying. Seeing death up close makes me feel more alive.

 

I am drawn to sadness, discomfort and unpleasant things such as a dog run over by a car or an old lady wearing too much makeup. I like what is dark and strange. For me, that is a raw piece of meat or a girl with an eye infection. I want to see the whole story. I don’t want to look away from anything. I try to see what is real.