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Soomin Kim is a visual artist hailing from Los Angeles, California. Growing up in the city, Kim was exposed to many diverse cultures and storytelling experiences. Kim uses photography to capture life around the city where he defines home with the curiosity of everyday life. Photographing moments in life that brings memory is a universal understanding in human experience which Kim leads to portray in his photos. Kim’s work has been published in Docu-Magazine and participated in various different event gallery showings. Kim is currently working on his MFA candidacy in Rochester Institute of Technology photography and related media program.
The Interview
At what point in your life did you know that you wanted to become an artist? Did the realization emerge slowly?
I decided to take the path of an artist at a late age, going back to school and majoring in Visual Arts. The multi-disciplinary style of learning would help solidify my love for this path I chose. Although I thought I started late, it was exciting to make this life choice in the world of art and that realization has proven to be a blessing.
How did you evolve your style and favorite mediums?
When I first started taking photographs, I want to say the approach I took was following the photographers who I felt most inspired by. Photographers like Robert Frank, Henri-Cartier Bresson, William Eggleston, and many more photographers who were staples of street and documentary photography. As time passed, I found a style I liked which included more contemporary artistic styles mixed and matched to my comfort. Artists such as Stephen Shore, Curran Hatleberg, and Nick Myer explore image-making differently and incorporate more modern approaches to conceptual ideas behind their work. With my work as of now, I have grown to like an artist who combines photography with family archives.
What are your time management techniques? Do you have regular working hours...or favorite times to work?
I often try to set hours to work. Other than the weather helping me, I try to set up a deadline to put my mindset into working mode. Oftentimes, I get so distracted with everything that it is hard to work during the day. So, instead of going out, I use the hours of the night to midnight to work on the things I need.
Do you work on more than one piece at a time, or primarily just on one?
I have always had to concentrate on finishing one project at a time. While I am outside taking photos, I think about the possibilities of another project, but as of now, my main focus is on the current project I am working on. I believe in putting the time and effort to perfect a project and I prefer this structure of working. It gives me a reason to work on something and a structure I can follow.
What would you say is your biggest influence--that which keeps you working, regardless of all else, your most steadfast motivation?
Of course, my work being seen around the world is my biggest motivation to work. The value of getting recognized for the work I have created is something I believe any artist would agree with. There is a want within me to be a respected artist who can be in the discourse within the art world. As for my influences, it has always been the people like my partner, who believe in me and root for me on my journey.
Does trying something new and not knowing the rules -- the boundary pushing -- create anxiety or excitement in you? (Or both?)
Trying something new always comes with a fear of not being able to properly execute the concept I have. As a street photographer, my body of work mainly showcased the street life of Los Angeles. It was not until I got into my MFA program that I started to experiment with different formats and use of vernacular photography in my current work which at first brought huge anxiety. Pushing past these boundaries and trying something new has helped me see differently and changed the anxiety to excitement in some ways.
Do you enjoy having the "duality of both chaos and control" or are you happiest with a set plan?
I feel like my life is already in chaos, so I prefer having some control in my plan. The funny thing about wanting control is chaos always finds its way into my life and after that, all hell breaks loose. So, yes, having a set plan helps me to focus and not have a mental breakdown every few minutes.
Do you have any projects or events forthcoming?
I am currently finishing my MFA thesis at Rochester Institute of Technology in Photography and related media. After my current body of work is finalized, I do have a project in mind to understand my background as a Korean American who came to the States at a young age and was not fully able to call Korea home in comparison to the Korean adoptees who cannot call Korea home due to their adoption. The lack of identity from the place I was born has been somewhat of a hardship in my life as a child. I am not an American, nor am I Korean. With similarities and contrasts in the way the adoptees and I view life, I think something is interesting in investigating how our identities are similar and so different at the same time.