The photographer Ken Konchel was from Detroit, but 41 years ago, his life took a turn. The man he was dating, Ron Crooks, had landed a job at the D’Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles advertising agency in St. Louis.
“We had not reached the point in our relationship where we knew there was a future, but I said, ‘I have to take this job, and you’re welcome to come with me.’ And he did, and so we moved here in 1988 thinking, ‘Well, St. Louis is not really on the short list of places we want to live, but let’s give it a couple years. We’ll see how the job works out and decide later.’ And we fell in love with this city so fast and never looked back.”
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For Konchel, it wasn’t just the people he met here—although he made many friends—or the ease of life (first in University City, and then later in the Central West End). It was the buildings.
“I know he was amazed at all of the architecture that was still extant here, because in Detroit, much of the urban areas had really been decimated,” recalls Crooks. “Neither one of us could believe that, in this city, all of these buildings remain, and most of them were in pretty good shape.”
Konchel died suddenly last week. He was 65 and, Crooks says, had struggled with depression almost all of his life. But he leaves behind not just his grieving widower (the couple married in 2014, among the droves of St. Louisans driving to Iowa when gay marriage became legal there) but photographs that show his adopted hometown. Konchel’s architectural photography earned exhibits at the International Photography Hall of Fame and The Gallery at The Kranzberg, along with numerous group shows. He also published a book, Architectronic.
He told SLM in 2023 that he’d been drawn to buildings since he was a child, but found his muse in St. Louis, which became his favorite place to photograph. “My motivation is to make people appreciate architecture, and one of the best compliments I get is when people look at my work and they say, ‘Gosh, I’ve never really appreciated that building before,’” he added.
Konchel was also an associate director at St. Louis Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts from 2006 until his retirement last year, working to pair artists who needed help with professionals willing to assist them pro bono. Crooks describes that part-time work as a labor of love.
Says Sue Greenberg, the organization’s executive director, “Much of his time was devoted to matching our clients—individual artists, small creative businesses, and nonprofit cultural organizations—with our amazing volunteer lawyers and accountants. In short, his impact on our work and on our goodwill cannot be overstated. And he’ll be remembered at VLAA always because ‘Arrangement’—one of his favorite photographs—hangs in our office.” The photograph (which can be seen here) depicts the exterior of the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis and the Richard Serra sculpture Joe, both stark shapes in Konchel’s characteristic black and white.
Crooks is planning a memorial service for October, when Konchel’s siblings will be able to travel to St. Louis. (Those interested should keep an eye on Konchel’s professional Facebook page.) “One of my best friends suggested that we have it in a gallery space where we can have all of his artwork around us,” he says. “And I thought that was brilliant. Maybe one last show.”
In the meantime, Crooks is remembering his partner of 38 years—not just his art, but his life. “Ken was absolutely the most kind person,” he says. “My experience with him was that he was impossible to have an argument with, that he wouldn’t do it. He never got mad. He was just the most absolutely pleasant person to be around all the time. He was just kind and gracious and good.”
