Cambridge Native Greg Katsoulis and His Goal to Photograph 8000 Faces
Greg Katsoulis
Cambridge, Massachusetts native, Greg Katsoulis, strives to capture the lives of strangers through photographs. Boston, Massachusetts sees thousands of people pass through its streets every day. For many, these faces blend into the background, never to be seen again. Greg broke this barrier, by capturing fleeting moments of people in Boston, a city buzzing with life. His photographs preserve the essence of people in their most natural states.
Greg began this project in 2009, with an initial goal to photograph 100 faces. Greg completed his goal of 100 portraits in 2011 and decided to increase his number of portraits to 8000.
These 8000 faces show the connection of bringing people together. Ideally, Greg stated he wanted to “capture empathy.” When we see a stranger we have two potential reactions; fear and curiosity. Greg said, “I would like more people to gravitate towards curiosity instead of fear.” His portraits capture people as they appear; unedited and unposed.
Each photograph can evoke empathy in the viewer as they do not know where the subject is from or anything about their life. The photos are diverse and allow us to discover beauty in humanity in all forms. His portraits depict a wide range of people from students to immigrants, to tourists, like myself. Each photograph is a moment, a story paused in time, that allows us to appreciate human life in all forms.
Greg’s project reflects his fascination with the world and brings to light the fact that every person has a rich and meaningful life. He doesn’t tell people or suggest that they should smile while he is taking their picture. By refraining from telling people to smile, Greg thinks he captures a more authentic expression.
As society becomes increasingly divided, Greg attempts to unite people through a photograph. We all fall victim to our own criticism and these portraits help people see through the lense of others. The viewer, often unfamiliar with the story of the person in the frame, is forced to confront their own biases and assumptions. Greg’s photos focus on evolving; each person as they navigate their life is constantly evolving. His project honors the complexity and dignity of others and reminds the viewer of their own dynamic identities.
Greg does not plan on stopping the project anytime soon, even if he has photographed 8000 faces. He hopes to increase his number of portraits and interact with more people. Greg’s project blends forms of social justice, empathy, and storytelling, as each face has a unique story to share.
Not only is Greg a photographer, he is also an author. He is the author of All Rights Reserved and Access Restricted. These novels focus on a universe where a language is trademarked and copyrighted. All Rights Reserved details, “A world where every word and gesture is copyrighted, patented or trademarked. One girl elects to remain silent rather than pay to speak, and her defiant and unexpected silence threatens to unravel the very fabric of society.”
Greg mentioned, “It is a statement about the incarceration state and how inhumane systems destroy a society by destroying relationships.”
Additionally, Greg also dabbles in filmmaking. He is currently making a film while working on a zero budget. As an artist, Katsoulis is constantly breaking barriers that we see in humanity today. His films, novels, and photographs are a reminder to embrace human life in all forms while standing for social justice and equality.
If you would like to check out his work here is a link to 8000 faces and his book website.
https://www.instagram.com/8000faces/?hl=en
https://gregorykatsoulis.com/books/