Michael Knapstein: Midwest Memoir – LENSCRATCH

This past September, I had the good fortune to be asked to juror Photo Midwest and attend the Photo Midwest Festival in Madison, Wisconsin. I met so many wonderful people, spent time with old friends, and saw a mother-lode of fantastic work. Included in that bounty were photographs by Michael Knapstein. His project, Midwest Memior, follows the tradition of Group f/64 aesthetics. Taking his inspiration from mid-century artists who captured the midwest landscape with a certain formality, Knapstein brings an elegance and way of seeing that is timeless. The subjects could be from any era; he uses light and architecture to elevate the ghosts of these classic landscapes.