Brandon M. Lee

Photography is an art form that was long considered to be nothing more than just a method for documentation and as a visual component for painting. The disapproval that is prevalent amongst both artists and non-artists is something that motivates me to prove the legitimacy of photography as an artistic practice. I am determined to show that photography is far beyond what it appears to be and can be just as equal to any other medium, if not more.

As a photographer, I work in both digital and analog (35 mm film) mediums and specialize in shooting architectural, landscape, kitsch, and street photography. Kitsch photography is a practice where I capture images of what most people would consider to be mundane, peculiar, or unusual that appeal to my aesthetic and interests as a way of challenging the idea of "what art is." This practice goes in hand with the larger aspect of the continued debate over whether photography in general can be considered a true art form.

For the BFA Thesis Show 2019, my practice of Kitsch photography will be utilized extensively in my project focusing on the deterioration of traditional Chinese culture in the 21st century, and the preserving of overseas Chinese heritage in America.

WLIS Academy Japanese Language & Cultural Studies, Streamwood, IL
AA, Elgin Community College, Elgin, IL
BFA, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL