Kirsten Joy Emack : Image as a legacy.
Kirsten Joy Emack is a photographer whose work explores themes of identity, human connection, and the passage of time. Her long-term project, Cousins, offers an intimate portrait of girlhood through the lives of her daughter and nieces. This deeply personal series celebrates the sacred bonds that unite these young girls, capturing the beauty, complexity, and ever-evolving relationships that shape their journey of self-discovery.
Anchored in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Cousins goes far beyond simple documentation. The project delves into the gentle dynamics of familial roles, moments of affirmation and ambivalence, and the profound act of self-recognition. Through her lens, both tender and insightful, she conveys a powerful message: about their emotions, experiences, and individuality that hold immense significance.
With her evocative imagery, Kirsten Joy weaves a poetic narrative that invites viewers to reflect on the universal truths of growth, belonging, and the enduring connections that shape us. Her work stands as both an artistic achievement and a heartfelt tribute to the transformative power of family bonds.
Website : www.kristenjoyemack.com
Instagram : @kristenjoyemack
News :
« Cousins » by Kristen Joy Emack edited by L’Altière (www.lartiere.com)
Your first photographic trigger?
Kirsten Joy Emack : An old book about Marilyn Monroe by Eve Arnold.
The man or woman of image who inspired you?
K.J.E. : Melissa Shook’s early work about her daughter Krissy.
The image you wish you had taken?
K.J.E. : A recent portrait of the model Rianne Von Rampaey by photographer Jamie Hawksworth in W Magazine volume 4, 2024.
The one that moved you the most?
K.J.E. : The Hijab Series; Mother, Daughter and Doll, by Boushra Almutawakel from Yemen.
And the one that made you angry?
K.J.E. : Any image of children destroyed by war.
Which photo do you think changed the world?
K.J.E. : I can’t think of any one current photo that changed the world – but the video of Minneapolis police murdering George Floyd did.
And which photo changed your world?
K.J.E. : I don’t think any one photo changed my world but many photos informed it.
What interests you most in an image?
K.J.E. : The in between space that makes you feel something you can’t explain. And the details… the placement of the hands, or limbs – and the metaphors that are included in the frame subconsciously.
What is the last photo you took?
K.J.E. : Two friends who are custodians at the elementary school where I work for an editorial job.
A key image in your personal pantheon?
K.J.E. : The one of the 3 girls in the kitchen in rural kentucky called, Cornett Girls by William Gedney
A photographic memory from your childhood?
K.J.E. : Looking out the window in the back seat of my parents car taught me about framing, and how each frame says something different depending on what’s inside and outside of it.
In your opinion, what is the necessary quality to be a good photographer?
K.J.E. : Intelligence and intuition.
What do you think makes a good photo?
K.J.E. : The same : Intelligence and intuition.
Who would you like to photograph?
K.J.E. : I used to pass by a tall, quiet woman in my neighborhood. She was simple and pretty and wore only gold eyeshadow. I’d love to photograph her.
An essential photo book?
K.J.E. : Sally Mann’s At Twelve.
The camera from your childhood?
K.J.E. : It was a green plastic camera that belonged to my parents…and it took 127 film and produced 4×4 images. Name escapes me but the memory of it is strong.
The one you use today?
K.J.E. : A Nikon dslr and a Fuji gfx.
An upcoming project that is close to your heart?
K.J.E. : I’m working on a new body of work called Book of Saints. The name comes from the idea that saints are regular people who become exemplary through their actions and perseverance. I think of this when I see so many community members, especially our young ones, navigating difficult times and hard circumstances while remaining genuine and earnest and persevering with grace. The work includes portraits and landscapes and video.
Your favorite addiction?
K.J.E. : Iced tea.
The best way for you to disconnect?
K.J.E. : Being in nature. Being near the water.
What is your personal relationship with the image?
K.J.E. : I make the strongest images when I have a connection or admiration for who or what I’m photographing.
By whom would you like or would you have liked to be photographed?
K.J.E. : Ingmar Bergman — or my friend Rashod Taylor. He tries — but the closest I’ve let him come is a polaroid of me in Indiana with my hands covering my face. One day.
Your latest folly?
K.J.E. : I almost adopted a second dog. Twice.
An image to illustrate a new banknote?
K.J.E. : Hmm…not sure.
Color or black and white?
K.J.E. : I love both, but I see in black & white first.
Daylight or studio light?
K.J.E. : Daylight.
What, in your opinion, is the most photogenic city?
K.J.E. : New York/Brooklyn.
If God existed, would you ask him to pose for you or opt for a selfie with him?
K.J.E. : I’d ask her to pose for me.
In terms of social networks, are you more Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, or Twitter and why?
K.J.E. : IG is the best place to connect with photographers, curators and editors. Just have to outsmart the algorithm.
Do you think the explosion of social networks has changed our relationship with the image?
K.J.E. : I think social media is forcing photographers to be better image makers. It’s not just that the world is full of more images, we’re actually flooded with more good ones.
What does photography represent in your creative universe?
K.J.E. : Sadness, love — desire, regret, faith— and our unseen connection to everything.
What is the purpose of art, in your opinion?
K.J.E. : It allows the artist to say what words can’t and for the viewer to understand without words.
The image that represents for you the current state of the world?
K.J.E. : Any of Rania Matar’s images from the last year of Lebanese and Palestinian women in broken and beautiful landscapes.
The job you would not have liked to do?
K.J.E. : Anything involving math.
Your greatest professional extravagance?
K.J.E. : My printer and my GFX are the two most expensive things I’ve ever spent money on, including my car.
What question could make you lose your temper?
K.J.E. : “ Are you a Taylor Swift fan ?”
And the question you wish someone would ask you but never has?
K.J.E. : Can I write a book about your life?
What is the last thing you did for the first time?
K.J.E. : Paddleboarding.
The city, country, or culture you dream of discovering?
K.J.E. : I want to visit more places in America. I have roots in rural North Carolina and I’d like to visit and photograph there.
The place you never get tired of ?
K.J.E. : The Mystic lakes just outside the city. It’s so pretty there and you can see hawks, Bald Eagles, geese, swans, and the herring run in the Spring. One side is occupied by privately owned lake front properties, the other is public land that anyone can go to. In the middle is the water and that belongs to everyone.
Your biggest regret?
K.J.E. : My only regret is how long it sometimes took to learn the lessons my regrets were trying to teach me.
If I could organize your ideal dinner, who would be at the table?
K.J.E. : My great grandmother Georgetta Liverman had 8 children with 4 different men. The first baby died, the second, my grandfather, was put up for adoption when he was two. The next two were placed in an orphanage at 9 and 11, when their dad went into a mental institution for life. She had 4 more with her last husband and stayed with them until she died at 40. My ideal dinner would be to sit on the front steps with just her on a June evening shucking corn and drinking iced tea while baked potatoes were steaming and listen to her tell me her whole life story. I’d ask her about her children, the men, her choices, her disappointments, her happiness — if she found any.
In your opinion, what is missing in today’s world?
K.J.E. : The understanding that two things can be true at once.
If you had to start all over again?
K.J.E. : I am made up of all the people I loved along the way or the circumstances I was born into, and the choices I made, so even though it’s tempting to think about starting over, I wouldn’t.
Afterward, what would you like people to say about you?
K.J.E. : I’m confident people will know I was loving, loyal, caring, curious and smart.
The one thing people must absolutely know about you?
K.J.E. : My intuition is never wrong.
A final word?
K.J.E. : Thank you for the opportunity to answer these interesting questions.
