kieran wagner photographer

For over a year now I’ve had an idea for a photo project incubating in the back of my mind. Based on observations and experiences, the gist of it is the distinction between craftsman vs. technician, although it took a conversation with my friend Gary to properly label the latter. For the project I’ll be focussing only on the craftsman part.

Not trying to slight the technicians, but what I’m really interested in is people who do what they do so well and with such passion that they elevate it to an art form. Granted, the guy machining grommets at the local factory doesn’t need to be passionate to be successful, and that’s fine. But certain vocations, at least at the upper end, are best approached by true artisans… a chef. A photographer. Definitely musicians, actors, and designers. Carpenters. All are disciplines in which craftsmanship should play a role. All can be made or broken in that last five percent. That’s where the craftsman lives – in that five percent where utility gives way to beauty. There are plenty of technicians out there who know the “right” way to cook an egg or play a paradiddle; know the rule-of-thirds or can memorize lines for a play, but a craftsman approaches his task differently. It sounds cheesy but it’s true: a craftsman works lovingly.

I happen to think a lot of technological factors tend to diminish craftsmanship as well. Surely people have looked at Joel Bukiewicz and said “dude, they’ve got machines for that” before happily buying a set of Henckels. As primarily a film photographer, people have often told me I could use photoshop plug-ins to get “that look.” But tell that to Dave Burnett or Christopher Wahl. Tell Eric Ripert it might be more cost effective to buy his tuna from Starkist. Craftsman vs. technician lies between the lines. It’s the thing you can’t put your finger on but is also so obvious when you experience it. You notice it in the way a singer or a song emotes. As a drummer I was always intimidated by guys with great chops, the guys who could play the smoothest swiss triplet you ever heard. But over the years I’ve come to realize what it is people like about my playing. It’s the feel; the thing that can’t be taught. The air between the notes rather than the notes themselves. It just IS. It’s something my friend, Chef Johnny, calls soigne.

You’ll be hearing more about Chef Johnny as his pop-up restaurant, Spoon, approaches. A recurring, ever-changing culinary event taking place in different venues, his inaugural Spoon 1.0 will be held at Pasture on May 20th (he’s already sold out one seating so I recommend getting your tickets now!) and promises to be a beautiful example of culinary craftsmanship.

This is Mattias. He’s a craftsman. He runs the bar at Comfort and will also devise a cocktail for each course at Spoon 1.0.