
PhotoWork with Sasha Wolf
From the PhotoWork Foundation, the PhotoWork Podcast, hosted by Sasha Wolf, features in-depth conversations with influential figures in the fine art photography world, including photographers, curators, and publishers. Through personal and insightful discussions, the podcast serves as a vital resource for artists, students, and professionals—offering inspiration, education, and a platform for anyone passionate about photography.
The PhotoWork Foundation supports the development and education of post-documentary photographic artists and cultivates an audience for their work. Through a diverse program of outreach to individual artists and those who will be enriched by the results of their sustained efforts, the Foundation seeks to empower an aspect of photography that is most often not commercially viable but is essential to the collective understanding of what it looks like to be living in society today.
To learn more about the podcast, see additional content related to individual episodes and other opportunities for artists visit: www.photowork.foundation and follow us on Instagram @photowork.foundation.
Latest episodes

Jun 2, 2025 • 1h 2min
Harlan Bozeman - Episode 93
In this episode of PhotoWork with Sasha Wolf, Sasha sits down with photographer Harlan Bozeman to discuss his artistic evolution—from the casual nature of street photography to the immersive, collaborative, and activist approach he brings to his ongoing documentary series, Out the E. They also explore his newer project, Failure to Appear, a more introspective and formally abstract investigation into memory and Black culture. Harlan is thoughtful, honest, and generous as he reflects on both the triumphs and challenges of his complex artistic practice.
https://www.harlanbozeman.com/
https://www.instagram.com/harlanbozeman/
Harlan Bozeman is an artist based in Central Arkansas, whose work confronts the erasure of Black legacies and centers on how this exploration influences one’s personhood. He received his M.F.A at the University of Arkansas, his Bachelor’s in Journalism at DePaul University, and attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in 2023. Harlan is a 2024 Catch Light Global Fellow and is currently participating in the Magnum Foundation’s Counter Histories fellowship. Harlan Bozeman is Professor of Practice at Tulane University.

Apr 1, 2025 • 56min
Jamel Shabazz - Episode 92
In this conversation, photographer Jamel Shabazz shares his journey capturing the essence of 1980s New York City. Known for his impactful street photography, he discusses how life experiences inspire his work and influence social change. He dives into his book, "A Time Before Crack," exploring its significance for his community. Jamel emphasizes the power of dialogue in photography, turning encounters into meaningful connections. His dedication to mentorship highlights the role of art in healing and uplifting individuals affected by trauma.

32 snips
Feb 20, 2025 • 1h 16min
Christopher McCall - Episode 91
Christopher McCall, former Director of the influential Pier 24 Photography, reflects on the legacy of this pivotal space for photography. He discusses its 14-year history and the emotional impact of its closure. The conversation shifts to the importance of innovation for emerging artists, celebrating lesser-known photographers while navigating challenges in contemporary exhibitions. McCall emphasizes the rise of pop-up exhibitions and the critical role of mentorship, urging artists to take charge of their visibility and support each other in the vibrant photography community.

Feb 4, 2025 • 44min
Bryan Schutmaat - Episode 90
Bryan Schutmaat, an acclaimed photographer from Austin, Texas, shares his journey through the American landscape and portraiture. He unveils insights from his new book, 'Sons of the Living,' highlighting the dignity of marginalized communities along desert highways. The discussion dives into the misrepresentation of collaboration in portraiture and the ongoing nature of artistic work. Bryan also reflects on navigating creativity, the impact of time on artistry, and exciting future projects, including an exhibition at the Rijksmuseum.

7 snips
Dec 30, 2024 • 54min
Keisha Scarville - Episode 89
Keisha Scarville, a Brooklyn-based photographer and professor, dives into her artistic journey, exploring themes of loss and identity. She discusses her thought-provoking book, weaving together archival imagery with personal narratives. Instead of viewing her work as discrete projects, Keisha embraces a holistic approach to storytelling. The conversation highlights the importance of shadows in photography and the healing power of art, making a profound connection between creativity and personal experiences.

Dec 16, 2024 • 1h 4min
Ed Panar - Episode 88
In this episode of PhotoWork with Sasha Wolf, Sasha is joined by photographer, publisher, and educator, Ed Panar. They delve into "Winter Nights, Walking" (Spaces Corners), a nightly walk through his hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, during the cold winter months shot over a 10 year period. Ed also describes the evolution of his process as the photo industry moved from the film era to the digital era and how that affected his work. Ed and Sasha discuss their optimistic views of our very connected photo community and how Ed and Melissa Catanese helped grow that community with their imprint and former community space, Spaces Corners.
https://edpanar.com |||
https://spacescorners.com/shop/p/winter-nights-walking-by-ed-panar
Ed Panar is a Pittsburgh based photographer and bookmaker. Ed has published several photobooks including: Winter Nights, Walking (2023), In the Vicinity (2018), Animals That Saw Me Volume One and Volume Two (2011 and 2016), Salad Days (2012), Same Difference (2010), and Golden Palms (2007). His photographs and books have been exhibited internationally at venues including: The Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago, MiCamera, Milan, The New York Photography Festival, The Cleveland Museum of Art and Pier 24 Photography in San Francisco. He is the recipient of a 2007 Artist Fellowship from the Pennsylvania Council of the Arts and in 2022 he relieved a Creative Development Award from The Heinz Endowments and a Guggenheim Fellowship. Ed is co-founder of the project space and publisher Spaces Corners.
This podcast is sponsored by picturehouse + thesmalldarkroom.
https://phtsdr.com

Nov 25, 2024 • 1h 21min
Christian Patterson - Episode 87
In this episode of PhotoWork with Sasha Wolf, Sasha engages in an honest and deeply personal conversation with photographer Christian Patterson. They delve into the creation of "Redheaded Peckerwood" (MACK) and his latest book, "Gong Co." (TBW Books & Éditions Images Vevey). Christian offers a thorough description of his intricate process and motivations for these long-term projects, providing nearly step-by-step insights. He also reflects on his years working with William Eggleston and the nuanced ways in which that experience did, and did not, influence his artistic direction.
http://www.christianpatterson.com |||
https://www.instagram.com/christian.patterson/
CHRISTIAN PATTERSON was born in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin and lives in New York, New York. His visually layered work has been described as novelistic, subjective documentary of the historical past, and often deals with themes of the archive, authorship, memory, place and time. Photographs are the heart of his multidisciplinary work, which includes drawings, paintings, objects, video and sound. Patterson is the author of four books, including Sound Affects (2008), Redheaded Peckerwood (2011, Recontres d’Arles Author Book Award), Bottom of the Lake (2015,Shortlist, Aperture-Paris Photo Book of the Year), and the forthcoming Gong Co. (2024). He is a Guggenheim Fellow (2013), winner of the Grand Prix Images Vevey (2015), a New York Public Library Picture Collection Artist Fellow (2022) and James Castle House Resident (2023). His work is in the collections of the National Gallery of Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), J. Paul Getty Museum, Milwaukee Art Museum, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and Ogden Museum of Southern Art, and his books are in many institutional artist book collections. He has lectured, mentored and taught widely. He is represented by Rose Gallery, Santa Monica, USA and Robert Morat Galerie, Berlin, Germany.
This podcast is sponsored by picturehouse + thesmalldarkroom.
https://phtsdr.com

Nov 11, 2024 • 1h 6min
Melissa Catanese - Episode 86
In this episode of PhotoWork with Sasha Wolf, Sasha sits down with Melissa Catanese—photographer, publisher, and educator. They dive into Melissa's array of book projects, including her 2023 release, "The Lottery" (The Ice Plant), inspired by Shirley Jackson's classic tale, perfectly resonating with today's uncertain world. They also have an honest and in-depth conversation about Melissa's life in photography, her commitment to pursuing her diverse artistic interests, and her innovative approaches to making a living as an artist.
http://www.melissacatanese.com/index.html |||
https://www.instagram.com/melissa_catanese/ |||
https://theiceplant.cc/product/the-lottery/
Melissa Catanese combines her images with archival images into a fluid, sensorial experience that pushes the image beyond its nostalgic surface and challenges ideas of authorship, representation, consumption, and the life cycle of images. She plays with images as raw material, intuitively teasing out oblique and guttural interpretations, tapping the inexplicable, and often dormant space within the surface of a photograph where meaning extends and recedes, comforts and disturbs. She is the author of "Dive Dark Dream Slow", "Voyagers", “The Lottery”, and “Fever field”. Her work is currently included in “Widening the Lens: Photography, Ecology, and the Contemporary Landscape” at Carnegie Museum of Art. She is the recipient of a Heinz Endowment Creative Development Award and has been shortlisted for the Paris Photo-Aperture Foundation PhotoBook Awards and the Foam Paul Huf Award. Catanese contributed texts to “Photo No-Nos: Meditations on What Not to Shoot” (Aperture, 2021), “Photographers Looking At Photographs: 75 Pictures from the Pilara Foundation” (Pier 24, 2020), The Photographer’s Playbook (Aperture, 2014) and to the project “Words Without Pictures” (Aperture, 2010), among other publications. She is a Teaching Professor at University of Pittsburgh and holds visiting appointments at Hartford Art School Photography MFA and Image Text Ithaca MFA.
This podcast is sponsored by picturehouse + thesmalldarkroom.
https://phtsdr.com

Oct 25, 2024 • 1h 21min
Gregory Halpern - Episode 85
In this episode of PhotoWork with Sasha Wolf, Sasha has a warm and deeply personal conversation with photographer Gregory Halpern. They discuss his latest book, "King, Queen, Knave," published by MACK, and also revisit "ZZYZX," the 2016 monograph that significantly elevated Greg's career. Together, they emphasize the importance of knowing when to assume the roles of photographer and editor, and when to let the audience engage with the work on their own terms.
http://www.gregoryhalpern.com/ |||
https://www.mackbooks.us/products/king-queen-knave-gregory-halpern
Gregory Halpern is an American photographer born in Buffalo, New York. He is the author of eight monographs, including King, Queen, Knave (2024), Omaha Sketchbook (2019), and ZZYZX (2016), his fantastical book of photographs of Los Angeles, now in its fourth edition. Halpern is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship and a member of Magnum Photos. His photographs are held in the collections of several major museums, including The Museum of Modern Art, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson, Fondation d’entreprise Hermès, and the Fotomuseum Antwerpen. His work has been featured in group exhibitions at the International Center of Photography, the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, the George Eastman Museum, the Cincinnati Art Museum, the Fotomuseum Antwerpen, and Pace/MacGill in New York. He holds a BA in History and Literature from Harvard University and an MFA from California College of the Arts. He lives in Rochester, New York with his wife, Ahndraya Parlato, and their two daughters. He is a professor of photography at the Rochester Institute of Technology.
This podcast is sponsored by picturehouse + thesmalldarkroom.
https://phtsdr.com

Oct 12, 2024 • 50min
Lesley A. Martin | Pauline Vermare - Episode 84
In this episode of PhotoWork with Sasha Wolf, Sasha is joined by Pauline Vermare, Curator of Photography at the Brooklyn Museum, and Lesley A. Martin, Executive Director of Printed Matter. They discuss their collaborative efforts on "I’m So Happy You Are Here: Japanese Women Photographers from the 1950s to Now," published by Aperture. This publication offers a counterpoint, complement, and challenge to historical precedents and the established canon of Japanese photography. Lesley and Pauline share their connections to Japanese society and their interest in the representation of women in photography. Together, Sasha, Lesley, and Pauline explore how they balanced the academic and historical aspects of their work with the artistic appeal of a photobook that highlights the contributions of Japanese women photographers.
https://aperture.org/books/im-so-happy-you-are-here-japanese-women-photographers-from-the-1950s-to-now/ |||
https://www.instagram.com/la.martin_/ |||
https://www.instagram.com/paulinevermare/
Pauline Vermare is the Phillip and Edith Leonian Curator of Photography, Brooklyn Museum. She was formerly the cultural director of Magnum Photos NY, and a curator at the International Center of Photography (ICP), The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), and the Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation, in Paris. She sits on the boards of the Saul Leiter Foundation and the Catherine Leroy Fund.
Lesley A. Martin is executive director of Printed Matter. Prior to that, she was the creative director of Aperture, founding publisher of The PhotoBook Review, and co-founder of the Paris Photo–Aperture Foundation PhotoBook Awards. She has edited more than one-hundred and fifty books of photography, including An-My Lê’s Small Wars; Illuminance by Rinko Kawauchi; LaToya Ruby Frazier: The Notion of Family; and Zanele Muholi: Somnyama Ngonyama. Martin has curated several exhibitions of photography, including The Ubiquitous Image; the New York Times Magazine Photographs, co-curated with Kathy Ryan; Aperture Remix, a commission-based exhibition celebrating Aperture’s sixtieth anniversary; and most recently, I'm So Happy You Are Here: Japanese Women Photographers Since the 1950s, co-curated with Pauline Vermare and Mariko Takeuchi. She received the Royal Photographic Society award for outstanding achievement in photographic publishing in 2020, and has been a visiting critic at the Yale University Graduate School of Art since 2016.
This podcast is sponsored by picturehouse + thesmalldarkroom.
https://phtsdr.com
Image © Mikiko Hara