Who are you?

“I’m Douglas Ljungkvist, I’m a photographer.  Originally I’m from Sweden, both Gothenburg and Stockholm.  No doubt that my Swedish heritage plays an important role in my voice as a photographer, especially my appreciation for simple, graphic, and minimal scenes.  Also my sense of color, especially yellow and red I attribute to my background.

I moved to New York at age 25 and after spells in Manhattan and New Jersey I have found myself at home in Brooklyn.  Brooklyn has become my photographic muse with its urban and industrial landscapes.  It’s the perfect place for someone like me with an intuitive work process that is fuelled by curiosity.  Here it is possible to enjoy quiet exploration and observations, especially on the fringes and around the industrial business zones.

I’m a self taught photographer who after a career in Sales & Marketing started photographing about five years ago.  Three years ago I left the corporate world behind me, hopefully for good.  In photography I have finally found what I should have been doing a long time ago, something that I am obsessed with (in a good way), and do better than anything else that I’ve ever done.

My first love is my personal projects that currently include, Ocean Beach, Ping Pong, Middletown USA, and Urban Cars.  I’ve exhibited at several venues in New York and other locations and look forward to continue my photography career here in Brooklyn.”

One of your Artworks that represent you. Would you like to speak about it? Can you write a comment about it?

“The board with rows and rows of keys from Ocean Beach, I remembered that it made an impression on me already 15 years ago when I vacationed there the first time.  Every time when I return I’m still mesmerized by it.  It represents individuality among conformity, I love how it will never look exactly the same again from day to day, and how the photo implies no beginning or end.  I also like flat two-dimensional scenes.

The people at Ocean Beach would shake their heads when I would admire the rows of keys and talk about it.  Until I sent them a 20×30” print, now they get it, too”

Have you someone or something that inspire your creativity? “There is so much that inspires me, color, Brooklyn, 1970’s (color) photography, Stephen Shore, William Eggleston, Gabriele Bascilico, the world around me in general.  I also find a lot of inspiration in movies, currently Italian neo-realism, French New Wave, and 1970’s movies in general, especially the color palette.”

Have you a place where you expose? What are your future projects? Exhibitions, events, jobs, new collections to show…

“A relatively new project is the study of color, or lack therefore, in the urban landscape.  Most western cities show their progress and wealth through steel and glass architecture.  The poorer a country, that I have visited, the more dynamically they use color; Mexico, India, Dominican Republic.  The general color scheme of the Brooklyn urban landscape includes mostly shades of reds and browns.  My study includes architecture, cars, fashion, infrastructure, people, and more.

I will be exhibiting prints from my Middletown USA project in Chicago mid June through mid August.  This will be a collaboration with the Steppenwolf Theatre’s show titled “Middletown”.  On July 10 I will visit Chicago for an “Explore” event the theatre is having and show/talk about additional project images.  It will also serve as the starting point to continue my project with visits to Middletown Illinois, Missouri, and Iowa.  After this trip I will have visited 15 of the 16 Middletown’s.

I am also continuing work on my Ocean Beach project this summer while starting to look for the right publisher and exhibition opportunities, both in here and in Europe.”

What kind of service do you offer?

“I offer architectural and interior photography services to New York brokers, interior designers, architects, developers, and stagers.  I’m also available for domestic and international editorial and commercial Travel and Architectural photography.”

Contact:

www.Douglasljungkvist.com