MOC ART: Jeffrey Kilmer - 23% Pure - All Ages (General)

LOS ANGELES/CA
Joined: Old School
Posts: 8117

July 22nd, 2009 - 10:25 AM

Jeffrey Kilmer is an artist and photographer I met in NYC around the time I moved there in early 2002. A charismatic figure in the nightlife/afterparty and art/gallery circuit, Kilmer was rarely without his camera. Contrary to the styles of most photographers of New York's downtown subculture underbelly at the time, Kilmer was by no means a party photographer - his eye was for the energy of the the person, not the scene..... shooting men and women he found interesting and attractive in the morning sun backdrops of manhattan and brooklyn streets, or in the homes of these street/party/art kids. Kilmer was on Makeoutclub, along with many of his early subjects. We touched base recently and excitedly discussed the release of his incredible new book of work: 23% Pure.

MOC: Give us some background...

Kilmer: I grew up in a middle class family in Rochester, Michigan, a suburb of economically-depressed Detroit. Rochester is the same small town Madonna grew up in, although she was a few years ahead of me. Due to my age, I regrettably missed the Detroit Punk Scene by a few years. Detroit had some cool local punk bands at the time: Iggy Pop & The Stooges, Death, and The MC-5 to name a few. Instead, I grew up during Post Punk / New Wave. Bands such as Joy Division, The Cure, Skinny Puppy, Public Image Ltd, and The Smiths helped to shape my interests in everything from fashion (Vivienne Westwood) to graphic design (Peter Saville) to travel I dreamed of visiting London and economically depressed Manchester England – Detroit’s sister city.

Evenings in the late 1980's & early 1990's were spent buying beer and Canadian Club Whiskey under age, at the City’s bullet-proof "party stores" and at sketchy alternative haunts in downtown Detroit and Hamtramck. The clubs were (mostly) located in the worst ghettos of the city. Clubs called Todd’s (in a defunct bowling alley), The Shelter, City Club, Lili’s, and St. Andrews Hall (the local independent band venue) were tiny hotbeds of creativity in the Murder Capitol of the World. I dressed only in black, had high, ratted “Robert Smith” hair, wore black eyeliner, but not tattoos. Tattoos were rare in the late 1980s; even on the bands I loved.

After high school, I continued my studies in Michigan, first in East Lansing (Civil Engineering), and later in Ann Arbor (Architecture). During the late 1980's and early 1990's I took the twelve-hour drive to New York City, as often as possible, eventually moving here in 1996.

MOC: I've been looking at your book all week, and I know you have been shooting artists, musicians, and decidedly "subculture" youth for nearly a decade... I recognize a few faces from New York and LA, but you have traveled the globe to gather these shots. Did you know you were making a book during these travels? How long were you shooting and whats the time frame of these photos?

Kilmer: The photos in the book are from 2002-2009. I always viewed this work as a photo “series”. Making a book was a natural next step. I find most of the kids via the Internet. The majority of my paid professional work is photographing architecture and involves travel. If I locate a bunch of interesting kids in a city that I’m scheduled to work in, I’ll try to stay an extra day at my own expense in order to shoot them. I love medium-size cities that are not on the radar, places like Tulsa, Oklahoma or Louisville, Kentucky.

The kids that interest me tend to have a certain moody or rebellious look to them. Perhaps they remind me of my teenage days?! Scars, black eyes, and tattoos tend to make them more interesting to me. The majority of the kids are cool, "creatives," and we often have common interests, such as music or fashion. Many of them become friends over time. We exchange music mix CD's and art via the old-fashioned mail.

MOC: When we met in NY about 6 or 7 years ago, we were undoubtedly wrapped up in an intense part of New York City's post-9/11 recovery, especially downtown, and especially in nightlife. There was an incredibly strong undercurrent of helplessness and despair (albeit overwhelmingly nursed by alcohol, drugs, music, parties)... As a New York artist, how much of that period in NY influenced you then and now as a photographer?

Kilmer: I eventually lost my job as an architect after 9/11. The time off gave me an opportunity to pursue photography more seriously. It also gave me time to explore nyc nightlife and meet a bunch of interesting characters! Creativity tends to thrive in depressed times (punk!).

MOC: You shot me during that time, and I wonder - when you look at all your photos and the work you've done over the last decade, what are the differences you see in your subjects... mood wise, style-wise, attitude? Is there any?

Kilmer: YOU would have been in the book, but my older work was all done on film. I couldn't afford to convert it to digital for the book printing process. The subjects tend to differ by region. Style on the East Coast is different than the West, which is different than the UK. Ten years ago, people on the web were super-open, trusting even. Today, the trend seems to be a move toward more privacy - private profiles, only accessible to people’s friends.

MOC: Where is the name "23% Pure" from?

Kilmer: There’s no real story behind it. Its abstract. Architectural. It was a “working” title that seemed appropriate to the finished book.

MOC: Your interest in architecture has born a portfolio of work around interiors and exterior structures. Quite a 180 degree turn from the extraordinarily personal portraits you are known for. Could architecture be a less strenuous photographic escape for you? Which do you enjoy shooting more: people or cityscapes/buildings?

Kilmer: Many of the portraits I shoot include architecture or landscape. My portrait shots have 2 subjects, the person being photographed, as well as their environment. I love shooting both portraits and architecture.

MOC: What's next for you?

Kilmer: Many of the subjects from the first book have been shot several times over the years, beginning when they were 18. Now they are 25. Mature. I’d love to produce another book showcasing these kids maturing. Perhaps 8-10 photographs of each subject, shot over a ten year period.

MOC: Do you have any memories or experiences related to Makeoutclub?

Kilmer: Makeoutclub was my first real experience with the internet. Making friends around the world (London, California come to mind) without actually meeting them. It was amazing. I took a road trip from NYC to Seattle, and Makeoutclub was perfect for finding out the “cool” happening bar/club in whatever city we were driving through. For example, “What’s cool to do in Denver on a Tuesday night?” Some cool kids from Makeoutclub would tell me!

Learn more about Jeffrey and view his work here:
http://www.jeffreykilmer.com/

Buy his amazing book, 23% Pure, here:
http://jeffreykilmer.bigc...-book-us-orders

Spazzcakes

DURHAM/NC
Joined: 11/23/08
Posts: 7665

July 22nd, 2009 - 10:27 AM

Neato!

whatababydoll

AUSTIN/TX
Joined: 07/17/09
Posts: 187

July 22nd, 2009 - 10:33 AM

Amazing

piggytron

cacafornia
Joined: 11/08/08
Posts: 2641

July 22nd, 2009 - 10:40 AM

gibby Said:

I think I'd buy this book soley based on this picture right here.

rachpaige

Stupid
Joined: 04/29/09
Posts: 3141

July 22nd, 2009 - 11:38 AM

piggytron Said:

gibby Said:

I think I'd buy this book soley based on this picture right here.

THIS RIGHT HERE.

aFirstLover

Montreal
Joined: 06/22/09
Posts: 9

July 22nd, 2009 - 3:44 PM

That's amazing...

sofaggy

TACOMA/WA
Joined: Old School
Posts: 1802

July 22nd, 2009 - 4:47 PM

Gibby!! This is wonderful.

_ashleymarie

LONGWOOD/FL
Joined: 03/28/09
Posts: 435

July 22nd, 2009 - 5:06 PM

sofaggy Said:

Gibby!! This is wonderful.

getting this book and adding it to my collection!!

schojo

a town called hate, GERMANY
Joined: 03/16/09
Posts: 6680

July 23rd, 2009 - 3:18 AM

discount for moc members? ;)
i want that book!

caranicole

PENSACOLA/FL
Joined: Old School
Posts: 2674

July 23rd, 2009 - 3:25 AM

schojo Said:

discount for moc members? ;)
i want that book!

Stabs

PORTLAND/OR
Joined: 02/14/09
Posts: 3740

July 23rd, 2009 - 10:03 AM

sofaggy Said:

Gibby!! This is wonderful.

GIBBY AND THIS THREAD IS REALLY WHY I LOVE MOC

kob

WATERLOO/IA
Joined: Old School
Posts: 1

July 24th, 2009 - 12:47 AM

love the first tattoo

Pierre

IRVING/TX
Joined: 05/20/08
Posts: 710

July 26th, 2009 - 9:20 AM

DW Eiffel Tower tat.

ChrisCarnage

London
Joined: 08/16/09
Posts: 1

August 16th, 2009 - 12:04 PM

I just shot with him on Wednesday, im excited to se ehow the pics turned out :)

Campagnolo

BROOKLYN/NY
Joined: Old School
Posts: 420

August 17th, 2009 - 8:27 PM

I shot with him 8 years ago... I should find those shots...

forkimified

Ottawa
Joined: Old School
Posts: 4748

August 17th, 2009 - 8:39 PM

Jeffrey Dahmer - 23% Other People

McCallister

SAINT PAUL/MN
Joined: 08/20/09
Posts: 7

August 20th, 2009 - 1:21 AM

I would love to see a book comparing shots of 18 year olds to their 25 year old self.

treehugger

CHICAGO/IL
Joined: 08/09/07
Posts: 704

August 20th, 2009 - 4:19 PM

I think this is a very interesting idea..

McCallister Said:

I would love to see a book comparing shots of 18 year olds to their 25 year old self.

clever_name

CHICAGO/IL
Joined: 07/09/09
Posts: 69

August 20th, 2009 - 4:49 PM

I love that eiffel tower tattoo.

dylanjesse

CHANDLER/AZ
Joined: 08/25/09
Posts: 22

August 26th, 2009 - 8:13 AM

piggytron Said:

gibby Said:

I think I'd buy this book soley based on this picture right here.

A lot of tools would.

BFblaze

WALLINGFORD/CT
Joined: 09/07/09
Posts: 13

September 8th, 2009 - 1:08 AM

thanks for this. his work is just phenomenal.

love_808

CLEMMONS/NC
Joined: 09/11/09
Posts: 1

September 12th, 2009 - 9:45 PM

thanx gibby!

LotusOhLotus

Nickel City
Joined: 09/25/09
Posts: 95

September 28th, 2009 - 10:06 AM

loving that plaid,shoulder dog combo.