shashasha

Josh Kern’s photobook debut opens with a handwritten note outlining how photography has helped him overcome an almost crippling shyness-slash-anxiety, written as directly and positively naively as the photography that follows.

“I became obsessed with documenting the world around me. My camera was with me everywhere and it somehow became a part of myself. It gave me permission to not be shy and the ability to show how intense and beautiful I perceive life. I found something where I can shamelessly express what I feel, my critical view on our generation and myself and my love for life in general.”

Kern’s photos record his life and the lives of his friends, shot on 35mm film and inspired by photographers like Ryan McGinley and Petra Collins. While he shoots from an up-close, ultra-personal angle, his imagines nevertheless manage to depict private scenes without his camera becoming an intruding presence.

“ I became obsessed with the idea of letting other people feel the same things as I do.
It's somehow funny that the most hated part of myself became my most loved one."

—from the artist’s statement