6 QUESTIONS TO KEVIN COOLEY

Can you tell us a little bit about how you became a photographer?

Sure, I started making photographs in high school, bringing my camera on backpacking trips in the Rocky Mountains. As you might expect, I made pretty landscape photos, and I never imagined it could be something more. I had no idea what was coming in my future. I was an international affairs major in college, a very practical-sounding choice but entirely wrong for me. I was lucky to take a photo class during my senior year. The photo professor couldn't understand why I wasn't taking photography more seriously and encouraged me to go to New York City and become a photographer. This idea blew my mind. I took his advice and never looked back.

Photo: Kevin Cooley

Please share something about your images. What is your special interest? How do you choose the colors, composition, themes etc.?

My practice primarily focuses on better understanding the human connection to the environment. A little over a decade ago, I moved to Los Angeles to be in the landscape of fires and floods, heatwaves and drought, and sea level rise - a place at the forefront of climate change and climate action. A place with varied terrain and drastic weather, yet somehow maintains a reputation of being "72 and Sunny" all the time. It is where the American Dream meets the end of the world. It's a very inspiring place to make my work. 

Photo: Kevin Cooley

Where does this interest come from?  

This fascination with the environment comes from growing up in Colorado, spending time in the wilds of the Rocky Mountains. Over time, I've seen these places change, becoming more domesticated, sterile, and crowded. Those changes, and certainly with climate change, there's a real sense of urgency to make my work.

My uncle inspired me to come to California. He worked in the film industry as an art director and was very well-versed in California history, especially how the landscape gets depicted in Hollywood films and television. I was taken by how much the landscape was a part of the story.  

Photo: Kevin Cooley

How do you get inspired? And what inspires you the most? Films, books, or magazines? Or what surrounds you?

I primarily consume a lot of media, newspapers, magazines, and television, and I try to read books, but I'm much better at listening to them when I'm outside looking around. I get a lot of inspiration through long-distance cycling and trail running. It's a great way to connect with nature, working hard to conquer all those hills, But, more importantly, it allows you to travel through the landscape at a pace that enables me to think about things and see things that I would never see from the car. 

What are your plans for the rest of the day? 

I am editing photos from a wildfire I photographed last night along the California/Nevada border. I am also preparing for an editorial assignment I have tomorrow evening.  

What else should we know about you?

I'm Kevin Cooley, a visual artist living and working in Southern California. I've been making photographs, videos, and installation works about the environment for the past twenty years. My work has been widely exhibited in the United States and is in numerous public and private collections, including The Guggenheim Museum and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. I've also been commissioned by several major media outlets such as the New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, Harper, and Wired.