BOULDER, Colo. — Faces and even the literal backs of people from all different backgrounds send a message through Kali Spitzer’s photography. They are all there to tell a story, a story to be proud of.
Spitzer’s work focuses on honoring Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC), and she does so by “making photography” with people of color that they will be proud of. Spitzer doesn’t use the common term “taking a photo” because she said she does not want to take anything from anyone. She said she is making something with the person she is photographing.
Healing BIPOC people through photography: Kali Spitzer
“I think my heritage deeply informs the person who I am,” said Kali Spitzer
“The images that I’m making, first and foremost, are for the people in the images. They’re not for profit, they are to celebrate and honor the people in the images, to heal the relationship of photography,” Spitzer said. “They are to reflect back the power I see in someone.”
Spitzer shared she has had issues herself with trusting photography and sharing her work with others as she reflected on the times large media corporations disrespectfully exploited her work.
“BIPOC folk, for a long time [have] been inappropriately photographed, misrepresented, not consulted how we want to be photographed, the image used even if you don’t want to be used,” said Spitzer.
Along with Spitzer’s goal of healing the relationship of photography for BIPOC people, she proudly discussed her lineage. On Spitzer’s father’s side, she belongs to the Kaska Nation from Daylu Dena Council (Lower Post, British Columbia), and on her mother’s side, she is Jewish with family that comes from Romania.
“I think my heritage deeply informs the person who I am,” said Spitzer. “Coming from two groups of people where genocide was committed against us and a lot of oppression, I just came out fighting.”
Spitzer’s goals for healing the BIPOC community through photography goes even deeper.
“Apart from honoring the folks in the images and making them for them, I also think it’s important to take up space that wasn’t built for us,” said Spitzer. “So, institutional spaces that were really built for white cis[gender] men. And I also know that I am able to do this with the support of folks that work in museums that also want to see that change and are supporting and facilitating that along with the artist.”
Spitzer hopes her work can spark change and openness in people’s minds.
“It’s also good to have this work witnessed by people that aren’t like-minded so they can see we are all human, so they can have a connection with us,” Spitzer said. “You know, like, you cannot commit these acts of violence against people if think they’re equal, and we are.”
Lindsey Ford is a multimedia journalist with Rocky Mountain PBS. You can reach her at lindseyford@rmpbs.org.
