Up next in the LCFMA17 Graduate Spotlight series is MA Fashion Photography Taylor Wessing prize winning student Kovi Konowiecki. Here, Kovi talks to us about his final project, his time at LCF and his plans for the future.
Third Prize winner Kovi Konowiecki with his portraits Tilly and Itty Beitar Illit, and Shimi Beitar Illit, from the series Bei Mir Bistu Shein
Photography © Jorge Herrera
My final collection… pays tribute to the elements of my home town Long Beach, that many would find commonplace and unextraordinary. They highlight the beauty of familiarity that can transform the mundane aspects of a person’s hometown into something very personal. The photographs are devoted to the elements of the everyday, which signifies how the special feeling a person associates with their hometown does not come from the place itself, but instead it is rooted in the person being from that place.
Undefined by a specific era, the people featured in the series exist in a setting created by my perception of home—a place that remains intimate and ageless—an embodiment of the feeling that no matter how many years pass, and no matter how many things change, there are certain things that never change.
‘Blue Velvet’ by Kovi Konowiecki
Before LCF… I did a BA at Wake Forest University in North Carolina, and played professional football (soccer) in Israel and Germany.
Top tips for new students…
- Be you—don’t compromise yourself to fit in or do what everyone else is doing.
- The work is always the most important. Self -promotion doesn’t do any good if the work doesn’t speak for itself.
- Work hard; there are tons of people out there that are better than you.
I chose LCF and MA Fashion Photography because… I guess I like being the odd one out. My work isn’t about fashion at all, but its nice to have different perspectives, regardless if they come into play or not.
The thing I enjoyed most about my course… was being able to make pictures without compromise. I think that speaks to the growing borders of “fashion photography”.
The best thing about studying in London… is that there are so many creative outlets. It’s very different to Los Angeles. You can really immerse yourself in everything that’s going on, and simultaneously you can take the train to the countryside and clear your head. I really like that balance.
My work in a few words… raw, portraiture, documentary, timeless, original.
My biggest inspiration… is the work of William Eggleston. Patti Smith is cool too.
After my MA… I hope to continue to tell stories through my photographs, and to be represented by a gallery that I admire. I have created some of my best work during this course, and I think being in a scholastic environment has really helped me focus on my artistic authorship.
LCF is moving east… and as long as it benefits the students, I think it’s great.
- Finf out more about Kovi’s work on Showtime and Instagram
- Find out more about LCFMA17
- Find out about the School of Media and Communication MA show
- Find out more about other postgraduate courses available at LCF
- #LCFMA17 on Twitter and Instagram