Peter speaks to Richard Beaven from his home in upstate New York about his experience being a British photographer living and working in the post-9/11 landscape of the United States. During their in-depth conversation, they remember the deep and complex geological, cultural, political and colonial histories of the Hudson River Valley where Richard now has his home, and what these multi-layered narratives of the Hudson watershed might reveal about the tensions and possibilities of the current state of American society itself. Having previously worked in the corporate world of advertising, Richard began to pursue a career in photography in 2011. Since then he has worked on assignments for clients such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Guardian. In 2020, he published the monograph All of Us in collaboration with the publisher Daylight Books. Focusing on the post-industrial and agricultural landscapes of upstate New York, Richard’s artistic practice seeks to reveal the spirit of the Hudson Valley in the faces of the people who inhabit it. As he alludes to during his discussion with Peter, his portraits are grounded in an air of empathy, hope and discovery. With this attitude in mind, he stresses the importance of interpersonal dialogue in his practice, including the imperative of being open to different ways of looking at the world.

https://www.richardbeaven.com/

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