Alec Soth

Sources:

Jaeger, Anne-Celine. "Alec Soth." Image Makers, Image Takers: The Essential Guide to Photography by Those in the Know. London: Thames & Hudson, 2007. 178-87. Print.

In Image Makes, Image Takers, Alec Soth gives insight on his image making process and his philosophy as a photographer. He has this apparent desire to remove himself from the art world, and he does so in part by keeping his life in Minnesota, where he lives with his family, and photographing the people and land between the two coasts. He stresses an approach to photography that is not especially focused on technique or method. His works are loosely focused around creating books as their final presentation, as opposed to individual prints, so his pieces have relied particularly on Soth’s personal vision and how he views his subjects.

Ryan, Bartholomew. "Dismantling My Career: A Conversation with Alec Soth." From Here to There: Alec Soth's America. By Alec Soth. Minneapolis, MN: Walker Art Center, 2010. 136-46. Print.

In this interview with Bartholomew Ryan, Alec Soth elaborates on his body of work entitled Broken Manual, which is based around a certain desire to run away, yet realizing the impossibility of escape. His images in this series depict many homeless individuals as well as others who merely chose to live “off the grid” and away from general society. Soth says that his subjects represent a “rampant individualism” that is present to some degree in most people—a fundamental sense of unique self. He states how he himself is attracted to photography because it is a lonely medium. He speaks of the importance of the picture taking process and a lesser emphasis on craft or creating perfect prints.