Salon #67 — Tommy Kha and Kris Graves

20 June 2023: Lanie and Paul McNulty hosted a 10×10 Photobooks salon with Tommy Kha and Kris Graves. Tommy presented his recent photobook Half, Full, Quarter (Aperture, 2023) and Kris discussed his book, Privileged Mediocrity (KGP | Monolith, 2023) and his co-published zine-catalogues for the New York Now: Home exhibition at the Museum of the City of New York.  

Salon 67 - Kris Graves and Tommy Kha
Left: Kris Graves, Privileged Mediocrity (KPG | Monolith, 2023). Right: Tommy Kha, Half, Full, Quarter (Aperture, 2023).

Tommy Kha received his MFA in Photography from Yale University. He is the recipient of the Next Step Award, the CPW Vision Award, Foam Talent, Creator Labs Photo’ Fund, NYSCA/NYFA Photography Fellow. His work has been published in The New York TimesThe New Yorker and Foam. He has had solo exhibitions at Higher Pictures Generation, Baxter Street at the Camera Club of New York and Blue Sky Gallery. His work was presented at Paris Photo, curated by Holly Roussell.

In Half, Full, Quarter (Aperture, 2023), featuring almost a decade of work, Tommy Kha explores the highly personal psycho-geography of his hometown. As the artist states, “Memphis has become, for me, not only the place where I was raised but an active borderland between fantasy and memory, nostalgia and history, nonfiction and mythology.” 

Tommy Kha, Half, Full, Quarter (Aperture, 2023)
Tommy Kha holding and explaining the mask that comes with Half, Full, Quarter.

Kris Graves, an artist and publisher based in New York and California, received his BA in Visual Arts from SUNY Purchase. He creates artworks that explore the subtleties of societal power and its impact on the built environment. Graves has published numerous books and exhibited his artwork at the Museum of Modern Art, New York; Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles and the National Portrait Gallery in London, among others. His imprint KGP | Monolith collaborates with artists to create limited edition publications and archival prints, focusing on contemporary photography and works on paper that address issues of race, identity, equity, gender, sexuality, and class.

Kris Graves, Privileged Mediocrity (KPG | Monolith, 2023)
Kris Graves discussing Privileged Mediocrity.

Kris’ recent book Privileged Mediocrity examines systemic unfairness in the United States. New York: Home is a limited edition publication of four 24-page booklets in a complementary slipcase. Each brightly-colored booklet encompasses a section of the exhibition, featuring works from the show’s 33 photographers.

New York Now: Home exhibition catalogue for the Museum of the City of New York.
Kris Graves shares New York Now: Home.

A big thank you to Lanie, Paul, Anna and George McNulty for hosting this salon.
All salon photos by Jeff Gutterman.