Ep. #62: Ice, Plastic, and Migration - Aleksey Kondratyev’s Photography of Labor

🎙️ Welcome to Ep. #62 of The Urbanaut Podcast, presented in collaboration with Urbanautica.com.In this captivating episode, we sit down with Aleksey Kondratyev, an artist-photographer whose work explores the intersections of globalization, labor, and identity. From the frozen landscapes of Kazakhstan’s ice fishers to the hidden labor force of American construction workers, Aleksey’s photography brings attention to unseen worlds.About Our Guest: Aleksey KondratyevBorn in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, and later immigrating to Detroit, Aleksey’s work is shaped by his personal history of migration and cultural hybridity. He holds an MFA from UCLA and has exhibited internationally at venues like the Museum of Contemporary Art Rome, the Benaki Museum in Athens, and the Berlin Center for Contemporary Art. His projects, including Ice Fishers, Auto, and Worker, have been featured in National Geographic, The New York Times, and The Financial Times.Tune in to this episode to:- Explore Aleksey’s journey in photography and how he found his artistic voice.- Learn about the Ice Fishers project, which documents Kazakh fishers using discarded plastic materials as makeshift survival shelters.- Understand the economic and social dynamics behind the global trade of used cars in the Auto project.- Discuss the invisible workforce behind modern cities in his Worker series.- Hear insights on balancing research and intuition in creative work.Don't forget to:- Subscribe to our channel for more episodes diving into the world of art and photography.- Like & Share this episode to support independent photography storytelling.- Follow us on social media for updates and exclusive behind-the-scenes content.EPISODE LINKSWebsite: alekseykondratyev.com | Instagram: @aleksey.kondratyevOUTLINE:0:00 - Coming Up..2:21 - Introduction to Aleksey Kondratyev25:37 - Discovering the Ice Fishers project28:30 - The extreme conditions of ice fishing1:13:28 - Transition to Auto: A personal connection1:15:26 - The global trade of wrecked cars1:31:19 - The Worker series: Capturing invisible labor1:33:40 - The role of anonymity in photography1:24:11 - The future of auto shops & changing labor markets1:54:55 - Trusting intuition over research1:53:41 - Final thoughts & advice for young photographersSOCIAL LINKS:🔹 Twitter: /UrbanautPodcast🔹 Facebook: /TheUrbanautPodcast🔹 Instagram: /TheUrbanautPodcast🔹 Support us on Patreon: /TheUrbanautPodcast #AlekseyKondratyev #TheUrbanautPodcast #Photography #DocumentaryPhotography #CentralAsia #PostSovietIdentity #LaborPhotography #ArtisticExploration #Urbanautica #SteveBisson #PatrickLeeHubbard