Stacy Kranitz is a documentary photographer who explores history, representation and otherness. She has developed her style, one that is full of movement, emotionally raw, gritty and features individuals in their environments. These individuals are sometimes new subjects, and other times her longtime friends; folks she has been documenting since she started her work in Appalachia in 2009. Stacy’s photos are sometimes bloody, many times violent, often sexualized, occasionally drug-induced, and always causing a stir. She has documented people and places all around the world, including snake handlers in Appalachia, cockfighting in Louisiana and black metal bands in Norway. Her work has been featured in VICE, New York Times Magazine, CNN, Mother Jones, TIME and Oxford American, among others. She also just completed her first feature documentary, “From the Study on Post-Pubescent Manhood.” In this episode, Stacy talks about facing criticism, the dishonesty of photojournalism, documenting violent situations, living out of her car, and blurring the lines between photographer and subject.
Related Links:
Stacy's Instagram
Stacy's Work:
"As It Was Given To Me" (Appalachia work)
"The Crevasse Of The Reich" (Nazi Reenactors)
Skatopia (TIME)
"Life In Appalachia. Regression to the Mean" (CNN)
"Sausage Castle" (VICE)
Black Metal Bands in Norway (Revolver)
Interview with Stacy (ISSUE Magazine)
Trailer for Stacy's feature doc, "From the Study on Post Pubescent Manhood"
“I don’t like being yelled at. I don’t like having a subject tell me that I treated them poorly, or I misrepresented them. That is difficult. But I can’t make this work without knowing that that’s going to be part of it. Even if the conversation goes against me and is not in favor of what I’m doing, it’s still part of the greater good of what I want from the project.”
Name: Stacy Kranitz
Current City: Los Angeles
What are you listening to now? Diana Ross, Reach out I'll Be There
What film/book/show/piece of media changed you?
- Trihn T Min-Ha's film Reassemblage
- George Gittoes's film The Miscreants of Taliwood
- Elizabeth Barret's film Stranger With a Camera
- Walid Raad's Atlas Project
- Martha Rosler's writings on Documentary photography
- Boris Mikhlov's book of photographs, Case History
- Ed Templeton's Zines Teenagers Kissing and Teenagers Smoking
- Carrie Mae Weems The Kitchen Table series
- Peter Matthiessen's novel Shadow Country
Who is your career role model? Leni Riefenstahl. Rather than seek out a simple role model who fits a classic heroine profile, I am intrigued by the complex story of a woman I both love and hate. In Riefenstahl, I find a multidimensional character with a focused vision and a murky set of morals. These grey areas speak to my desire to understand people beyond the constraints of good versus evil.
What is a tool you can't live without? Dresses with flowers on them
How do you take your coffee/tea? iced coffee, with a little bit of cream
What's your spirit animal? All the alligator's that live in Lake Martin, Louisiana
Updates? I'll be in Central Appalachia this summer working on my project As it Was Give(n) To Me. In October this project will be shown in Wales as part of the Diffusion photography festival. I just finished my first feature length documentary film, From the Study on Post-Pubescent Manhood.
CREDITS:
Produced by Elaine Sheldon & Sarah Ginsburg
Sound design by Billy Wirasnik
Illustration by Christine Cover
MUSIC by Dirty Dishes (meet Jenny next week!)
- Dinner Bell
- Sugar Plum Fairies
- Guilty
- Lackluster
- Dan Cortez
CLIPS FEATURED IN SHOW: