Denise Keim, “Malcolm X and Gabriel Koren, Harlem, New York, 1998,” gelatin silver print/Photo: Denise Keim
Denise Keim, who has been a documentary photographer, educator and curator for well over thirty years, has finally brought her own remarkable analog work out of storage and is sharing it with the public on the walls of her gallery. Keim is a Fulbright Scholar with a long history of great teachers—Sean Wilkinson, himself a student of Aaron Siskind, Minor White and Harry Callahan, and an internship with Mary Ellen Mark during her MFA. Keim knows her way around a darkroom, which is abundantly evident in this exhibition. What is also clear is that she is in tune with her subjects—even those who aren’t aware they’re being photographed. Keim has the ability to blend into her surroundings, which makes it possible to capture people being themselves.
It’s no wonder her work has appeared in the New York Times Magazine, the Los Angeles Times Magazine, Ms. magazine, the Village Voice and American Photo. Keim founded The Chicago Center for Photojournalism in 2023. Part gallery, part school, CC4PJ opens its doors to people of all ages, some of whom are homeless, many of whom have never held a camera, but relish the attention to detail and warmth that Keim is known for.
Denise Keim, “Bolek’s Village, Poland, 1993,” gelatin silver print/Photo: Denise Keim
In this show, Keim shows images from her long career that were discovered by Christopher Rauschenberg (Robert Rauschenberg’s son) and shown in 2007 at his famous Blue Sky Gallery as a retrospective series. They span her career and include silver gelatin images from 1993 to 2008. Keim’s innate feeling for humanity creates images like “Bolek’s Village, Poland, 1993,” in which a young boy stands in shoes and underpants, while three men, two of whom are shirtless and appear drunk, carry on, oblivious of his presence.
Or “Boy with Bird, 1995” in which a Romanian boy proudly holds up his pet bird, its wings pinched between his fingers and stretched to the breaking point. Each image invokes a story from Keim in person but also tells its own story to be deciphered by the viewer. The object of photojournalism is to convey stories—Keim is up to the task.
Denise Keim, “Romeo, Gay Pride Parade, Paris, 2005,” gelatin silver print/Photo: Denise Keim
Some of the images are just plain moving, for example, “Malcolm X and Gabriel Koren, Harlem, 1998,” in which a controversial bronze statue of Malcolm X stands, finger pointing, while the sculptor herself, shrouded in motion blur, walks past. It is these moments that make Keim so good at her craft—being there is only part of the magic, seeing what others don’t see is what makes this work so impressive.
In a marvelous dichotomy, an elderly lady, complete with babushka, a plastic shopping bag in each hand, stands in front of a painting of a voluptuous nude in “Thalia Hall, Pilsen, 2005.” The contrast between the two women is comical and poignant, yet just the kind of juxtaposition Keim is such a master at. Seeing the world through her eyes and lens is to see it all anew.
“Between You and Me: The Camera Teaches, The Photograph Speaks” is on view at Chicago Center for Photojournalism, 1226 West Wilson, through June 15.
