Description
Before he decided to pursue a full-time career as an artist, Aubrey J. Kauffman worked in television for thirty years, shooting news, sports, and documentaries – while taking photographs on the side. The daily grind of news assignments and production deadlines kept him in touch with the practice of photography, honing his chops and developing a kind of muscle memory that would serve him well. When he made the decision to go to graduate school at Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University – where he now manages the gallery – he was the oldest student in his class. But he was on his way to becoming an artist instead of an employee.
We went out with Kauffman on a sunny September morning in Trenton, New Jersey – where his studio is located. His work is about asking questions – and travelling to places in search of the answers – witnessing, documenting, and experiencing. As a videographer, part of his job was shooting what would seem to most people like an endless series of random locations and subjects. And Kauffman was taking notes. He’s still telling stories through images – but now he’s the one writing them.
