Will Korn

Scanning the City

As a radiologist, I analyzed images of bodies, searching for things that were damaged, things that were missing, and things that didn’t belong − a combination of ‘Where’s Waldo?” and “which of these things is not like the other?” Now I direct my powers of observation towards the world around me, creating my own images out of patterns that I find curious and engaging.

Art historian John Szarkowski wrote, “the central act of photography is that of choosing and eliminating.” These words inspire me to capture images that focus on specific details but still retain identifiable qualities of the scenes from which they are extracted: they are minimalist but not abstract.  Modern architecture is my ideal palette for this pursuit.  As I walk about cities and towns, campuses and office parks, choosing and eliminating, I am drawn to patterns and details that may be hidden in obscure corners of urban structures or plainly visible. Having found my subject, I might distort a perspective, tilt my camera, isolate details, or emphasize extremes of light and shadow. I am energized and constantly rewarded by looking at my surroundings in this new way.