PhotoWork with Sasha Wolf - Photography Podcast

Kelli Connell - Episode 73

PhotoWork with Sasha Wolf - Photography Podcast

Show Notes

In this episode of PhotoWork with Sasha Wolf, Sasha and photographer, Kelli Connell discuss her brand new book, Pictures for Charis, published by Aperture. Kelli talks about her fascination with and subsequent extensive research on Charis Wilson and the eleven year relationship she had with legendary photographer Edward Weston, and how what she learned guided her own exploration of portrait-making and landscape work while collaborating with her wife of fourteen years, Betsy Odom. Sasha and Kelli also discuss Kelli's renowned series, Double Life, which also explores the relationship between photographer and model as well as gender and identity.

https://www.kelliconnell.com https://aperture.org/books/kelli-connell-pictures-for-charis/ http://www.decodebooks.com/connell.html

Kelli Connell is an artist whose work investigates sexuality, gender, identity and photographer / sitter relationships. Her work is in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, J Paul Getty Museum, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Columbus Museum of Art, Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Dallas Museum of Art, Milwaukee Art Museum, and the Museum of Contemporary Photography, among others. Publications of her work include Kelli Connell: Pictures for Charis (Aperture, March 2024), PhotoWork: Forty Photographers on Process and Practice (Aperture), Photo Art: The New World of Photography (Aperture), and the monograph Kelli Connell: Double Life (DECODE Books). Connell has received fellowships and residencies from The Guggenheim Foundation, MacDowell, PLAYA, Peaked Hill Trust, LATITUDE, Light Work, and The Center for Creative Photography. Connell is an editor at SKYLARK Editions and a professor at Columbia College Chicago.

This podcast is sponsored by picturehouse + thesmalldarkroom. https://phtsdr.com

More from PhotoWork with Sasha Wolf - Photography Podcast

Oct 15, 2026

Photographer Irina Rozovsky joins Sasha Wolf on PhotoWork to discuss the release of her latest photobook, Mountain Black Heart (MACK). The conversation explores how Rozovsky’s nomadic photographic journey through the Balkan region shaped the book’s images and underlying atmosphere. Rozovsky and Wolf reflect on the parallels between making photographs and making a photobook, examining how distance from the routines of home, unfamiliar surroundings, and a willingness to embrace discomfort inform her creative process.

Sep 25, 2026

Artists Dru Donovan and Jon Rubin join PhotoWork with Sasha Wolf to share their memories of legendary photographer, artist, and teacher Larry Sultan and discuss the release of Water Over Thunder: Selected Writings (MACK), the first publication devoted to Sultan's wide-ranging use of writing as a personal, artistic, and pedagogical tool, illustrated throughout with previously unseen materials from his archive. Former students, assistants, and friends of Sultan, Donovan and Rubin share personal stories about his approach to photography, teaching, and mentorship, while reflecting on his lasting influence and the privilege of collaborating with his family on this book.

Sep 11, 2026

Artists Dru Donovan and Jon Rubin join PhotoWork with Sasha Wolf to share their memories of legendary photographer, artist, and teacher Larry Sultan and discuss the release of Water Over Thunder: Selected Writings (MACK), the first publication devoted to Sultan's wide-ranging use of writing as a personal, artistic, and pedagogical tool, illustrated throughout with previously unseen materials from his archive. Former students, assistants, and friends of Sultan, Donovan and Rubin share personal stories about his approach to photography, teaching, and mentorship, while reflecting on his lasting influence and the privilege of collaborating with his family on this book.

Jul 24, 2026

Curators Marina Chao & Adam Ryan (CPW) join PhotoWork with Sasha Wolf to discuss the inaugural Upstate Photography Biennial and the curatorial process behind this major contemporary photography exhibition. Chao, Ryan, and Wolf explore how CPW develops exhibitions with both the local community and broader audience in mind, building meaningful public engagement, and what artists can do to establish and sustain relationships with photography and arts organizations.

Jul 3, 2026

Photographers Jarod Lew and Reagan Louie join PhotoWork with Sasha Wolf to discuss how they explore cultural identity, personal loss, and trauma through photography. Lew and Louie are Asian American photographers from different generations, and their work reflects how the exploration of cultural identity in contemporary photography has evolved over the decades. While Louie takes a documentary photography approach, Lew works through more conceptual constructs. Their conversation with Wolf highlights the visual differences between their practices while revealing striking resonances in how they discuss their approach.

See all episodes →