Young Asian American Photographer Refreshes Vintage Eggleston Americana

For our annual photo issue we reached out to 16 up-and-coming photographers and asked them which photographer inspired them to pursue the medium. Then we approached their “idols” to see if they would be willing to publish work in the issue as well. What was provided, we think, creates a unique conversation about the line of influence between young artists and those more established in their careers. This post features work by Tommy Kha and his chosen idol, William Eggleston.

Tommy Kha is a photographer based between Brooklyn and Memphis. He received his MFA from Yale University in 2013. His work has been exhibited around the country and internationally, including in Germany, China, and Canada. Kha occasionally acts, most recently appearing in Laurie Simmons’ feature film, My Art. Kha describes his work as being “about the self in self-portrait, the portrait in self-portrait, and the hyphen in self-portrait.”

His idol for the 2017 Photo Issue, William Eggleston, is considered one of the pioneers of color photography. His work emphasizes the interesting and beautiful complexities of the mundane world and the American vernacular—from gas stations to a diner’s vacant parking lot, Eggleston finds the vibrancy in ordinary life. Eggleston has received countless awards, including the Getty Images Lifetime Achievement Award at the International Center of Photography Infinity Awards. His work has been exhibited in the biggest museums all over the world, including the Getty Museum, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, to name a few.