Photographer

Keith Perks

In a lot of my work there is a sense of darkness and I think those pieces help make my brighter and maybe what some may consider as my happier pieces, to stand out that much more. Someone once told me, there’s a “sense of hurt” in my work and that was a great moment of accomplishment having made someone feel something. The deepened shadows, the grain, the uncomfortable nature of a pose all add to the meaning. I’m not looking to portray doom and gloom, but maybe a depth allowing the viewer the chance to determine their own story from it. Theirs may not be what was intended, but I love hearing what it is they think it means, because the art then goes beyond the piece. It lies with in the perception as well.

Broken down, seedy, sinful, and underbelly are things I finds intriguing. At times it is in the darkest corners that the light shines brightest. I’ve found a love and admiration over the years for exploring things that many may find unconventional. There’s a story in those places many tend to overlook or ignore.

I’ve always had a deep appreciation for the counterculture. There’s beauty in things the general public may not fully comprehend. Art is everywhere and in everything…even in what we don’t understand, agree with, or in things some find to be ugly. I try to capture that as I travel and explore. In creating my own work, I try at times to have something within it push the viewer. Sadness, peace, anger, happiness, and even confusion…those are all rewarding words hear.

In dark streets of a big city, the side roads of the middle of nowhere, even in the pit between  bands and their fans, the lens is an eye to a world where some people forget to look and I think they are missing out. These things are what excites me most.– Keith Perks