“Eddie on Bass,” from Below the Larynx, black & white medium format film, 2021

This piece is part of my “Below the Larynx” series, a series where I photograph musicians at work. Hearing live music has made me feel strong feelings of joy, sadness, anger, and belonging. I have immense respect for artists who create their work using instruments. 

I wanted to find a way to show musical artists in the way that many visual artists are known; where their artwork is often unassociated with the identity of the artist. For example, you can see a painting in person without seeing the person who created it. However, you cannot hear a live performance when the musician is not physically there to perform.

I would go as far as to say that the brand of a musician is highlighted in popular culture–for example, what they are known to wear, their demeanor, and what props they use during live performances.

With this being said, below is the artist statement for the photographic series:

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“Below the Larynx” is an ongoing photographic series that explores how anonymizing musicians shifts the subject matter of the image. Instead of immediately looking at a figure’s face in search of recognition, the viewer is forced to consider other visual clues to contextualize the scene. What is the figure wearing? Where are they performing? Who are they performing with? How do they hold their instrument? Are they standing or sitting?

Bringing these questions to the forefront of concert photography allows the viewer to imagine who the figure might be and create hypotheses for what kind of music they might make. It allows the viewer to focus on and find a unique appreciation for the relationship between the human body and the musical instrument. It symbolizes how music and art is often consumed; without a deep knowledge of the creator, yet with a deep connection to their creation.