JACOB BARAK KLENSIN

This is a place where I hope to link all my work and make it available in one convenient location.  Please take a look through what I've made available, explore the work and by all means, get in touch.  Thank you for visiting, and I hope you enjoy what you see.

Check out http://figureoffighting.com to see the collection of my current work and catch up with all the latest developments.

A set of photos taken at the Langley Speedway on the last day of the 2009 racing season. Available in a book available at http://www.blurb.com/my/book/detail/1900591
The images here depict the final race of the 2009 racing season at the Langley Speedway in southern Virginia. The drivers shown are amateur car racers which few would find to be a common hobby, or one that people would easily come into. Indeed many of these racers begin driving on the track before they can legally drive on the road. Many are sponsored by car garages owned by their own family's. There are different devisions based on types of cars, but largely divided by the costs of those vehicles. Most have dreams of driving on a more professional level, however, very few ever will. Even so, this in no way prevents them from coming back year after year, driving cars built up during the off season with large amounts of their own money invested. There is something about it, that goes far beyond men in their twenties playing recreational baseball or football games despite the reality of never playing professionally. Some barely hold onto goals of winning championships at their current level. Most race, to race. They do it out of a deep love and passion for what they do. For working on their cars, and driving them as fast as they can around that track, in the company of others. There are rivalries and companionships that run years deep. As unique an environment this may seem, in the field it felt strangely common place. The afternoon felt more like a fourth of july picnic, than a competition involving motor vehicles. For these images in particular I owe a special thanks to Destiny Justice and her cousin, #25, Robbie Salas, who allowed me access, and invited me into the pit, behind the track, as family. I hope that I did justice to the people shown in my images, and have represented them with the dignity they deserve.

This is a set of photos taken at the Michael Jackson memorial at the Apollo Theater in New York one week after his passing. The set is available in a book at http://www.blurb.com/my/book/detail/1900693
Few figures, as controversial as Michael Jackson, have been commemorated so much in death. Much of the mourning and grieving process took the form of a celebration. One week after his passing, a memorial was held at the Apollo Theater in New York City. The event was what I only could have imagined a concert at the height of the stars popularity would have been like. For blocks there was a seemingly endless supply of all Michael Jackson related items for sale. Every imaginable shirt, poster, movie, hat, flag, or carved crystal paying tribute to the king of pop was available. Those same sidewalks absolutely overflowed with crowds carrying their recently purchased goods, or ones brought from home, showing their dedication which dated back much further than the previous week. People with hand trucks carrying audio systems walked by playing their favorite hits, and M.J. impersonators tended to follow near by. Those few blocks of Harlem contained no traces of controversy or doubt. They were nothing but a celebration of a legend lost at an early age. As a photographer, I've been very interested in capturing emotions such as loss and grief, however little of that was apparent. What I found in my images was joy in what was had, and what was created by the man being mourned.

I have gone through a long and somewhat complicated process of personal development and self education, to bring me to the point of pursuing my current course of work.  My motivations for photography range from the most selfless to the most selfish.  I want to better understand the world through the use of my photography.  I want to explore and show people at their most beautiful and their ugliest.  I want to empower people, by making them the subjects of beautiful images.  I don't want to just tell their stories, I want to encourage them to tell their own stories either through my images, or through their own means.  I want to explore and show the intensity of human emotion that has amazed and terrified me.  I want to explore the most banal, the most extreme, the most unseen.  I want to show war without showing guns and bombs, or the physical damage created by either.  I want to show athletes without just showing the sports they play.  Farmers without their farms.  Fishermen, without showing fish.  I want to show the world with all its perfections and imperfections.  

These desires have grown out of years of complicated internal debate that have produced my current direction of work.  The more of the world I have seen, the more amazed and confused I have become by it.  It became more difficult to verbalise all the questions I had, and all the observations I made, and conclusions I came to.  I found my words in my photography.  It began with short documentary films, but my subjects of interest grew more and more banal until I simply wanted to show people, living their lives, making cities and the world function.  It became more about the people than a given event or circumstance.  With a camera in hand, I found the ability to express everything I saw in people better than any of my words could.  My questions about humanity and my inability to verbalise these thoughts was becoming crushingly overwhelming and yet it all subsides while holding that camera.  For this reason, photography has never been a hobby of mine, but an absolute necessity. 

May 13th 7-10pm
East River Bar
97 s. 6th st.
Brooklyn, NY

"The Figure of..." is a group photography exhibit showing various styles of portraiture. Each photographer has his or her own style and technique; this show presents the viewers with each photographers' take on a portrait.

Photographers include:

Shanna Fisher www.shannafisher.com
Sharon Goldberg www.iliketotakepictures.com
Jacob Klensin www.jacobklensin.com
Kevin McWilliams www.kevinmcwilliamsphoto.com
Joanna Novelli www.joannanovelli.com
Meg Wachter www.www.megwachterphoto.com


June 10th
Tattooed Mom's
Philadelphia

A Yet to be Named Art Collective PRESENTS:
A Yet to be Named Art show

A group of artists so new we don't even have a clever name, (or any name) announces the first of what we hope to be many pop up shows. We're pulling out all the stops, grabbing everyone we know and taking our work to the bar to share with everyone. There will be DJ's, Drinks, a ton of Art, raffles, even a contest to name this new thing we got going on. We're ...taking this whole "art show" thing into our own hands, and our own spaces, and we're pretty sure its gonna be good. Come out, have fun, show your support (we guarantee you'll know at least one person showing work), and help us start something new.

Featuring:
Liz Demartino, Jacob Klensin (Figure of Fighting), Alexis Mabry and John Nunn (Neva Safe), Ralph and Shakey (Awesome Dudes Printing),
Topper, and Mike Ski
With work from:
Dave Steele, Andrew Johnson-Lally, Josie Newman, Bird, Ozzie Perez, Clay Willoughby, Scott Smith, JP Bevins, Katie Peterson, Evan Lovett, Kevin Collins, Chris Kline, Mike Johnson, Max Gordan, Rory Hole, Dave Jaunetta