Most know me as a photographer, writer, director, or podcaster. All of those are true.
I use whatever tool the moment requires to help a person, community, or culture see its own legacy in real time.
My tools are interchangeable, but their intention is always the same: to create the conditions where something more true can emerge than any of us could have made alone.
Burner Podcast is my longest-running cultural architecture project. Burners are a culture and a community that exists year-round, and the podcast is a central focus point to help mirror how the community tells its own story - independent of any single organization or event.
When I direct a music video, I don't order everyone to execute my rigid vision. I create an environment where every artist can bring their own story and voice. The final video is a document of the community we created and the culture that came together.
When I photograph someone, I am not imposing my will on them. The images we make are a co-creation.
The output - the photo, the video, the podcast - is just the documentation.
The culture and the community that made it is my real work.
-Ārash
