Erik Hagen is an artist who explores the physical and psychological landscapes of low-wage service workers through personal documentary, staged photographs, and narrative text. Drawing on his previous and current experiences as a retail worker and taxi driver, Hagen examines sense of self, inner monologue, and the monotony of daily life. "They Name a Street After Him," based on his experience driving a taxi in Los Angeles will be published this summer as part of the Penumbra Foundation Risograph Print & Publication Residency.
Hagen received his MFA from the University of Hartford, and has been awarded the Hannes Wanderer Award (2019) and the Silver Eye Center for Photography Keystone Fellowship (2020). He is originally from the Gulf Coast of Florida and lives in Lancaster, PA.
hagenism@gmail.com