Spirit of Aloha | Features | May/June 2007

Ken Briner
The Vision

In a sense, beachcombing is what I do for a living. Walking with the sun on my face, seeking intuition and inspiration, I spend entire days staring down at beach detritus: polished stones, colorful shells, artifacts of weathered driftwood, forms and shapes and peculiarities. What will I find? A precious treasure? Will I put it in a jar? Should I store it on a shelf? No, I’ll share my treasure with the world. I’ll photograph it. Stylistically, I’m from the school of minimalism. I prefer to leave something to the imagination, a mysterious illumination perceived and then remembered. My wide angle, full-frame approach to composition adds to the mystery of scale in a photograph. When I’m in that elusive “zone of inspiration,” the technicalities of focal length, depth of field, shutter speed, aperture, focus, composition and light come together instantly, sub­consciously and harmoniously. Since most of my work is done is utter silence, I live by the soundtrack of the occasional trade winds, ocean syllables, the breath of trees. The randomness of these peaceful conditions seems to be described visually in my work. As an artist, I always try to convey the world in a pure and poetic way. I always hope that my work reflects this sincere, quiet quest. Think of it as beach­combing with thought and light

The Photographer

The son of Swiss immigrants, raised in upstate New York, Kenn Briner has been a multi-instrumentalist since the age of 4. Be­fore moving to Hawai‘i, he was a songwriter and musician in Los Angeles for 10 years; two months after he settled on Maui, his home, studio, musical instruments and recording equipment were destroyed by fire. When she read of the fire, a woman in a wheelchair offered Kenn her old Nikon camera, which she could no longer use, and which he gratefully accepted. This was a profound life-altering gesture. Within three years, he was offered solo exhibitions of his work in Italy, Switzer­land and Germany; today his work is sought by galleries and collectors worldwide. On Maui, his current work is on display at the Four Seasons Resort Maui, The Grand Wailea Resort and Spa and the Fairmont Kealani. With his wife, Naomi, and son, Mason, he lives on the beautiful slopes of Haleakal¯a. See more of his work at www.bigzenphotography.com

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