Mark Power - 14 Years Photographing America, The Democracy of Photography & Why Stillness Matters More Than The Decisive Moment, E114
4/15/20261 hr 32 min
In this episode, Matt sits down with Magnum photographer Mark Power for a wide-ranging conversation about long-term documentary photography, creative process, and what it means to spend 14 years photographing America as a foreigner. Mark discusses the origins of his landmark five-volume series 'Good Morning, America', why he's drawn to photographing the ordinary and overlooked rather than the spectacular, and how a woman quietly crying at a Don McCullin exhibition changed the trajectory of his entire career. From nearly quitting photography to becoming one of the most respected members of Magnum Photos, Mark shares honest reflections on self-doubt...
Clips
Showing 10 of 12Transcript preview
First 90 secondsMark Power· Guest0:00
Do you want me to tell you why I started? It was a universal language that I think I wanted to start tapping into. I'm very good at making competent photographs. When is it exceptional? I have to work doubly hard with the way that I structure my pictures and the subtleties within it to expect anybody to spend any time looking at it.
Matt Jacob· Host0:19
Where did Good Morning America concept and idea come from, and why did you start this huge project?
Mark Power· Guest0:24
I remember we were having a Magnum AGM in Paris, and a few of us were bemoaning the fact that it was almost impossible to get any funding anymore to do the work that we really wanted to do. So that night was born the Postcards from America idea. It's probably a hugely pretentious thing to do [laughs] to, to make five books over a period of time.
Matt Jacob· Host0:48
What is the intent with the subject matter with which you photograph?
Mark Power· Guest0:52
I'm more interested in trying to elevate the absolutely deadpan and ordinary into something interesting.
Matt Jacob· Host0:59
Why do you want to elevate a banal scenario? Where does this desire to do that come from?
Mark Power· Guest1:06
That is a very, very hard question, and I think a lot of it is, again, is difficult to put into words. Let's slightly rephrase that because...
Matt Jacob· Host1:14
Mark Power, welcome to the Moo