There’s a very special exhibition opening in L.A. this summer that we think you won’t want to miss. Even though there are no well-known photographers contributing to the show, there are many big names behind this important event, in addition to a lot of heart.
Two years ago, photographer Michael Muller teamed up with Jennifer Howell of the Art of Elysium to establish Kids Clicking Kids, a program that gives cameras to children who are hospitalized with serious medical conditions so that they can document, explore, and share their world. The program is a labor of love not just for Muller and Howell (who, through the L.A.-based nonprofit Art of Elysium, has been devoted to bringing the arts to sick kids for more than a decade) but also for Stockland Martel photographers Kwaku Alston, Lauren Greenfield, Matthias Clamer, and Vincent Laforet.
An exhibition of the kids’ photos will open August 8 at Subliminal Projects gallery on Sunset Boulevard (http://www.subliminalprojects.com/), so we thought it was a good time to ask Muller about the inspiration for KCK and why KCK is so inspiring to him.
How did Kids Clicking Kids get started?
I met Jen Howell years back and started doing workshops with my guys. It was life-changing. To spend time with these kids who were in so much pain, and facing such huge tests of their will and spirit, was a gift. I would watch the light come on in the room from their smiles—there are no words that can describe it. So there I was after a session, walking the deck at my new home that was being remodeled, when my wife called me over to see something. When I reached out to put my weight on the railing, it was not attached yet. I fell almost 20 feet, almost being impaled by rebar. I somehow avoided all cement and was taken by ambulance to the ER. While sitting in that room waiting for some sort of pain medication, I started to laugh. I got it—I understood how really painful it is to our humanity to be a prisoner in a hospital. At that moment, I knew the universe was showing me one more thing in my life I had to do, which was to share my gifts with these kids.
In what hospital did KCK debut? And what was that first experience like?
Well, two years ago, I did a show and donated all proceeds to the Art of Elysium to start KCK. It was a great show and raised a good amount of money. From there, it took about 18 months to really get going. We received a grant from the Department of Cultural Affairs to do two three-month workshops with one group of kids, who were on dialysis. Usually, our workshops were one-day things where you go in for a few hours, so to do a workshop with the same kids week in and week out and watch them develop was truly inspiring.
Is there something about cameras and photography in particular that the kids respond to?
Instant gratification!!!! We bring printers in, also. I think the fact that anyone can take a picture and it is interactive is a real plus.
Being a talented photographer is one thing, but being able to show others the wonder of photography is another thing altogether. How do you talk to the kids about photography?
We approach them all a little different, obviously, because they all have different personalities. I think everyone is really treated with respect and the faith that we believe they have it in them to do this. I have seen maybe three or four kids who had never even held a camera in their life from our last workshop, over the course of three months, turn out images that could hang in galleries and sell for lots of money if the right “name” was under them. Truly unbelievable stuff.
What are some of the benefits of this program that you have personally witnessed?
Joy, happiness, and a sense of giving.
KCK’s Artist Board is a who’s who of photography. In addition to people like Henry Diltz, Sheryl Nields, and Greg Gorman, there are a number of your Stockland Martel colleagues—Kwaku Alston, Lauren Greenfield, Matthias Clamer, and Vincent Laforet. How did you persuade these very busy people to participate?
No persuasion needed. Everyone was more than willing to help. I think artists are used to giving of themselves daily to do what we do. It is in our nature.
What is your ultimate ambition for KCK?
To see kids smile.
Has your work with KCK affected you—the way you look at photography and, perhaps, at life?
Yes. I see that life is so, so, so, so, so very fragile, and it is such a gift. I live life like it is the last day every day. These kids show me how thankful I am to be alive.
