Stay Gold Pony Boy

Shows, publications, and lectures in 2012

2012-02-02T18:06:00.001-05:00

I can hardly believe it's 2012, which I'm sure is due in no small part to the fact that my first winter in Chicago still hasn't really arrived. It is a lovely 45 degrees outside, and I'm writing this blog post with my windows open. Bizarre. In any case, 2012 is shaping up to be a very exciting year. Here's a bit of what's happening (or going to be happening) in roughly chronological order:

I'm thrilled that new work from Transcendence was recently included in F-Stop Magazine's Portrait Issue along with quite a wonderful group of portrait photographers.

Two of my images, Landen and Hunter, will be included in "Lust" at the Jennifer Schwartz Gallery in Atlanta, Georgia. This show was curated by David Bram, the editor and publisher of Fraction Magazine. I am thrilled to be a part of this show and work with this wonderful gallery.

Landen, 2011

Hunter, 2011

In March, I'll be heading to San Francisco for the Society for Photographic Education conference and am looking forward to seeing familiar faces and meeting new people. If you're going to SPE, drop me a note and say hi! I'd love to meet up with other photographers while I'm there.

My photograph Gregg was juried by Todd Hido into the SPE Member show taking place at the RayKo Photo Center Gallery. I'll be at the opening reception on Saturday, March 24 from 6-8 pm and I'd love to see you if you're on the west coast or in town for SPE.

Gregg, 2011

In April, I'll be heading to Boston to give artist talks at Berklee College of Music, Massachusetts College of Art, the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, the Art institute of Boston, and Harvard University. I'm excited to be heading back to my old stomping grounds and visiting the classes of Shellburne Thurber, Bruce Myren, Anthony Scibilia, Gina Kamentsky, and David Hilliard. I also have a photo, JulianAnton, in the MassArt auction, which I'll get to see while I'm in town.

JulianAnton, 2011

I've got a couple of publications on the horizon as well. Berklee College will be publishing new work from Transcendence, along with an artist interview, in their visual arts magazine, Fusion. Wellesley College is publishing a selection of work from Coupled with an introduction by Karen Irvine, Curator at the Museum of Contemporary Photography, in the Wellesley College Women's Review of Books. I'm also in the design phase of a book of work from Transcendence, so expect more information about that in the near future.

Lastly, I'm planning a solo exhibition of my newest work at the Schneider Gallery in Chicago from September 7-October 27, 2012. I'll post more information on that show as it gets closer. I'm looking forward to showing in my new city!

And, of course, amidst all of this, I'm busily making new work, which includes working on a brand new project and also making a series of handmade, intimate artist books. I'm looking forward to seeing what the rest of 2012 brings!

Two Way Lens by Michael Werner

2012-01-29T11:35:00.001-05:00

The newest interview on Michael Werner's blog Two Way Lens features an interesting interview with John Arsenault. Two Way Lens is a wonderful, interesting, and important project that gives insight into the working process of many artists. If you're not familiar with it, it's definitely one to follow!

Work by John Arsenault:

Lenscratch's Favorite Photographs of 2011 Exhibition

2012-01-01T10:51:00.001-05:00

I'm excited to have my photo Korrie included in the Lenscratch exhibition "Your Favorite Photographs of 2011." Organized by Aline Smithson, this online exhibition includes work by tons of great photographers. A huge thanks to Aline for putting it together and for everything she does for the photo community.

It is difficult to choose a favorite photo from a year, or even from a month or two, but this photo of Korrie is definitely one of my favorite photos from 2011. I recently photographed him again (so recently that I haven't even picked up the negatives yet) and can't wait to see how the new images turn out.

Korrie, 2011

2011-12-15T11:00:00.000-05:00

Jesse, 2010

Dear friends,

I am excited to announce that I have added a new selection of images to my project Transcendence. Photographed in color, the new images mark a visual departure from my previous black and white portraiture while continuing my engagement with issues of gender and identity. I would love for you to take a moment and view these new additions here.

Several of these photographs were recently exhibited at the Leslie/Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art in New York, and I am also very excited that the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction at Indiana University has acquired a full set of the new photographs for their permanent collection.

I hope you have a wonderful holiday!

Magenta Foundation's Flash Forward 2011- Emerging Photographers

2011-12-10T15:19:00.000-05:00

I am happy to have my work featured in the Magenta Foundation's Flash Forward 2011 Emerging Photographers book, along with the work of fantastic photographers such as George Awde, Tara Sellios, Matthew Gamber, Nick Meyer, and many more.

The book is beautiful and I'm honored to be a part of it.

Transgender Day of Remembrance

2011-11-20T09:45:00.000-05:00

A photo in honor of the International Transgender Day of Remembrance.

Fighter (Self-portrait with Corinne), 2006

Transgressive at Leslie/Lohman in NY

2011-11-05T22:32:00.002-04:00

A few photographs of my work in Transgressive:

Exhibition of Transcendence at Leslie/Lohman in NY

2011-10-30T10:19:00.001-04:00

I am excited that four new pictures from Transcendence will be on display at the Leslie/Lohman Gay Art Foundation in New York from November 8 through January 15. Thanks to Cora Lambert for putting this two person exhibition together. If you're in NY, stop by and check it out!

Presents

Transgressive

Portraits by Joelle Circé and Jess T. Dugan

November 8th to January 15th

Come Celebrate at the

Opening Reception

Tuesday, November 8th
6 - 8 PM

Joelle Circé

Born in Montreal, Canada, painter Joelle Circé showcases several figurative oil paintings, representing the female body and the struggles and triumphs of being both transsexual and a queer woman. The personal depictions of eroticism, desire and fear create an exciting body of work exploring sexual identity.

Joelle Circé, Tango Styling Kiki

Jess T. Dugan

Large format photographer Jess T. Dugan exhibits work from "Transcendence," a body of work portraying people from the transgender community. The work focuses on people who exist along the transmasculine spectrum, from those born female that don't identify as women, to those who physically transition or change their bodies. In an effort to increase understanding, the images portray issues unique to the transgender community while also highlighting the shared experiences of being human.

Jess Dugan, Dallas

These new paintings and photography highlighting human beings of transgender experience, will stay on exhibition 24 hours a day, viewable from the exterior of the gallery at street level as part of the ongoing window series curated by Cora Lambert bringing the work of LGBTQ artists to a public domain tackling issues of sex, gender, identity, and pop culture.

New work

2011-10-27T16:38:00.000-04:00

A Moment Collected at the Atlanta Celebrates Photography Book Fair

2011-10-23T07:23:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Larissa Leclair for sending me this photograph of my book A Moment Collected: Photographs at the Harvard Art Museum on the Indie Photobook Library table at the Atlanta Celebrates Photography Book Fair.

Mary Virginia Swanson lecture

2011-10-16T22:31:00.000-04:00

Mary Virginia Swanson gave a fantastic lecture about photo book publishing this evening as the closing keynote of the Filter Photo Festival. It was a real treat, and very inspiring, to hear her speak. I can't wait to sit down with my newly signed copy of Publish Your Photography Book, Swanson's 2011 book that she co-authored with Darius Himes.

Mary Virginia Swanson with my book and me with hers!

Mary Virginia Swanson signing her book for me

Photos from John Gossage lecture and Filter Photo Festival

2011-10-16T00:57:00.001-04:00

It's been an exciting few days here in Chicago. John Gossage came to lecture at Columbia College on Thursday evening and also spent Friday morning with our grad seminar class, which was fantastic. The Filter Photo Festival is in town, and I have made it to a few of the events they put on.

Below are some photos:

John Gossage speaking to photo students at the Museum of Contemporary Photography

John Gossage in grad seminar

John Gossage and Ross Sawyers in grad seminar

John Gossage critiquing Julie Weber's work

David Travis and John Gossage viewing work

Dawoud Bey viewing work

Me and Aline Smithson at Filter

David Bram and me at Filter

The crowd at Filter

Julie Weber and me at Filter

Patricia Lay-Dorsey and me at Filter

Me and Susan Barnett at Filter

Alice showing her work to Julie at Filter

Me and David Travis

Dawoud Bey, me, and Kelli Connell

Alison Carey, Paul D'Amato, John Gossage, and me

Artist talk at the University of Missouri

2011-10-06T00:51:00.003-04:00

I have just returned from Columbia, Missouri, where I was invited to give an artist talk. My friend and fellow photographer Joe Johnson teaches at the University of Missouri, and he invited me to present my work to two of his photography classes, one intermediate and one advanced. I took a bus from Chicago to Columbia on Monday morning, and the seven-hour ride was actually quite lovely. I’m pretty sure I saw nothing but open fields for the first five hours, followed by a slightly urban respite as we paused at the bus stop in St. Louis. Between St. Louis and Columbia, the landscape changed from flat and dry to hilly and full of beautiful trees. If I used my imagination, it almost felt a little bit like driving through New Hampshire or upstate NY. I have been in Chicago for about six weeks now, but this was my first trip outside of the city and it was great to see some of the landscape.

I spoke to Joe’s classes on Tuesday, each one involving a one hour lecture followed by another hour of looking at prints and answering questions. His students were fantastic, and after each class was dismissed, a small group of 6 to 8 students huddled around and we continued our discussions about portraiture, making work, gender identity, how to approach people, etc.

It was a great experience for me in many ways, as it gave me an opportunity to refine my thoughts about my work even further and is the first time I’ve given a lecture since starting grad school. In a relatively short period of time, grad school has already sent the wheels in my brain spinning and I’ve taken a huge leap into making new and exciting work. Towards the end of my lecture, I explained my thoughts about where I’m headed with my work and also shared some things I’m currently struggling with. The students seemed to enjoy hearing about the issues I am currently struggling with in my work, and it was nice to share that side of the art-making process. It would be boring if I knew the solutions before I started wrestling with the problems.

Aiden, 2011

I also spoke a bit about the image Aiden, which for me feels like a turning point in my work. It is my most recent image and also the photo with which I ended my lecture. Looking at it after I printed it, it suddenly became very clear to me that Aiden’s identity as a trans person was not at all what the photo was about. Rather, it was about his subtle sensitivity, his open gesture and the way I was looking at him, the ambiguity of his identity and my relationship to him, and very simply, the beauty of the portrait and the way it came together in terms of color and shape to create an image open to multiple readings and interpretations. I spoke about how this is leading me in a new direction of photographing the sensitive side of masculinity and making portraits that explore both the desire to be masculine and the desire of the masculine.

I was inspired that many of the men in the class responded eagerly to this idea of inquiry, and they told me it was something they would love to see, as the emotional and sensitive side of masculinity is not often explored or represented. And, as a bonus to me, one of the guys in the class responded intensely to this idea and fit my new project perfectly, and he agreed to pose for a photo next time he’s in Chicago. He was really excited about it and so am I.

Here are a few photos of the students looking at prints after the lecture:

Joe Johnson and me

Lastly, it was fantastic to spend three days with Joe, who I originally met at MassArt when he was a grad student and I was working on my BFA. Though we have kept in touch for the past 8 years, this visit gave us a wonderful opportunity to spend time together, catch up about our lives, and stay up way too late into the wee hours of the morning talking about photography in the warm Midwestern night air.

I am energized and excited by this trip and this experience, and am grateful to Joe for inviting me down to share my work with his students. Now, back to life in Chicago!

A new photo

2011-09-29T22:06:00.002-04:00

Coupled featured in the Advocate

2011-09-24T17:44:00.000-04:00

I am excited that my series Coupled is featured today in The Advocate. There is a nice interview posted with the images as well.

Justine and Jen

No Place Like Home

2011-09-24T10:14:00.000-04:00

The exhibition No Place Like Home opens at the Hyde Park Art Center this Sunday, September 25th. The show was curated by Dawoud Bey and includes work by Lisa Lindvay, Jon Lowenstein, Jason Reblando, Jessica Rodrigue, David Schalliol, and Leilana Wertens. There is a reception from 3-5, which is where I'll be!

Jessica Rodrigue, Electrical Tower, 2010

Kelli Connell and Colleen Plumb book signing at the MoCP

2011-09-20T23:27:00.000-04:00

This is where I'll be next Tuesday....

Book signing with Kelli Connell and Colleen Plumb
Museum of Contemporary Photography
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
5:00-6:30

From the MoCP website:

Join us for a book signing for MoCP collection artists Colleen Plumb and Kelli Connell. Plumb’s book, Animals are Outside Today, was published by Radius in July; Connell’s book Double Life was just published by Decode Books.

First day of grad seminar and lots of art

2011-09-10T23:06:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was my first day of photo grad seminar at Columbia, and it was fantastic. We got a surprise in the morning, which was a visit from Alex Webb and Rebecca Norris Webb, who are in town for Alex's show at the Stephen Daiter Gallery. They each showed us work and and gave us insight into their process as working artists. They joined us for lunch and we got the opportunity to speak with them further, which was really wonderful.

Alex and Rebecca showing work in grad seminar

After they left, we got to see the work by all of the other first and second year grad students, and it was inspiring and exciting to see what everyone is working on.

In the evening, there were more openings than I could possibly make it to, but I made sure to go to Kelli Connell's opening at Catherine Edelman Gallery and to Alex's opening. They were both fantastic, but I definitely need to go back when it's quieter and really spend time with the work.

At Stephen Daiter Gallery

Alex's work

Rebecca and Alex

Alex's work

"Grenada, Gouyave Bar," 1979, by Alex Webb

Evan Baden, fellow MFA Columbia student, and me at Alex's opening

Kelli Connell's show at Catherine Edelman Gallery

"Brickhaus cafe" by Kelli Connell

"Convertible Kiss" by Kelli Connell

"Sliver" and "Lucky Lou's" by Kelli Connell

"4th of July" and "Reverie" by Kelli Connell

"This Morning" and "The Valley" by Kelli Connell

The passage of time

2011-08-28T22:34:00.001-04:00

As I'm making new work for Transcendence, I am finding that I have photographed some of the same people multiple times over several years. I am consciously using time as an element in this work, and I enjoy seeing how people change, as well as how my relationship to them changes the work that I make. Here are a few examples:


Korrie, 2008

Korrie, 2011

Connor and Ereka, 2009


Connor and Ereka, 2011

Alexander, 2007

Alex after surgery, 2011

Self-portrait with mom, 2005

Self-portrait with mom, 2010

Christian Marclay's "The Clock"

2011-08-28T10:46:00.001-04:00

There has been a lot of buzz about Christian Marclay's critically-acclaimed film "The Clock" coming to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, MA. It is scheduled to debut this September. Originally, the MFA wanted to charge $200 a ticket for the debut screening, but according to this article in the Huffington Post, Marclay protested, saying, "it has always been my express wish that there should be no additional charge to view my work 'The Clock', over and above any general admission price to an institution or any other venue, nor should it be used in connection with the promotion, advertisement or sponsorship of any person or business. This is contractually agreed by all institutions who own and exhibit 'The Clock'. It is my intention that my work be made equally accessible to all."

While I acknowledge the massive expense museums face simply to function, I have to admit, I'm pretty thrilled to hear Marclay's response to this. Makes me proud to share the title of MassArt alum with him.

An excerpt from the film is below:

Columbia!

2011-08-27T21:01:00.000-04:00

Today was my grad school orientation at Columbia College. I have been looking forward to this day for quite some time. Because I tend to be a planner, I was anxious to meet my fellow grad students, register for classes, and just generally get a sense of how this whole MFA thing was going to go. I am really excited about the breadth of Columbia- it is a huge school with concentrations in things like music, dance, and theatre as well as the visual arts. Coming from MassArt, which has 1,200 undergraduates compared to Columbia's 12,000, this school feels huge in the best possible way. Meanwhile, my incoming graduate class only has 7 students. So far, it seems like Columbia will offer both an intimate and focused graduate experience and also the resources that come with a larger, more diverse school. So far, so good. I had the opportunity to meet Kelli Connell and Myra Greene, two faculty members who I am very much looking forward to working with, as well as all of my fellow MFA students.

All of the excitement is really setting in. I have been so focused on actually moving to Chicago and getting settled in that it's exciting to start to really think about school and what these next three years will be like. I can't wait.

Worm composter

2011-08-23T18:04:00.001-04:00

I got a worm composter! This, of course, has seemingly nothing to do with photography, but I acquired it at the same time I moved for grad school, so the worms and the pursuit of photography seem somehow related to me. Though I ordered the worms and the composter at the same time, the worms arrived almost a week before their new home. I made a temporary home for them in my salad spinner full of shredded newspaper, soil, and food scraps, which I kept on top of my fridge. As I am a novice to vermicomposting, I am glad they survived!

The composter came today and I got it all set up. Not only did my worms survive but they seemed really plump and happy. Now they have a real home and I'm super excited about it. Here are a few photos:

Makeshift salad spinner home

The composter- it has 3 more trays that I'll add as it fills up

Top layer of newspaper


Food scraps and shredded newspaper

Worms!

Look how tiny it is....

Home sweet Chicago

2011-08-22T14:31:00.016-04:00

I have arrived in Chicago! After many months of planning, I am finally here and getting ready to start the photography MFA program at Columbia College Chicago. I couldn't be more excited.

Last week, I packed up my pickup truck with my negatives, my computer, my cameras, my plants, and my friend Ely and headed west. We left Boston in the morning and headed west on 90 until we came to Niagara Falls. New York is a big state! It seemed like we were driving through New York forever. We found a little hotel and carted all of my negatives to our second floor room (the hotel had no elevator, might I add) and set out to find dinner, which turned out to be quite good despite a totally empty restaurant. Luck would have it that there was a bowling alley right next to our hotel, so after dinner we popped in to bowl a few games and it turned out that games were only 50 cents each! Coming from Boston, where games are regularly $5.50 each, I was ecstatic and couldn’t let the opportunity pass. We took full advantage of this offer by bowling 8 games, and I was actually sore the next morning, which is not something that usually happens to me after bowling. We packed up all of my negatives and computer equipment and headed towards Niagara Falls, but we were distracted by a thrift store for the better part of an hour. We finally made it and went on the Maid of the Mist tour, which takes you on a little boat right to the base of the falls. I had been once before but it had been many years so it was amazing to see it again.

Me and Ely at Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls from above

From the boat

From the boat, even closer!

Ely getting sprayed with the mist

Later that day we headed west again through Pennsylvania and into Ohio, which all of a sudden seemed very flat. I could tell we were no longer in New England, or even what I call “greater New England,” which includes much of New York. We planned to spend the night in Toledo, OH and found a hotel with a first floor room available since we had learned our lesson the night before. This time we just loaded up a big cart full of negatives and cameras and wheeled it into the hotel room. Luckily there was a Mexican restaurant right next to the hotel, so we got some dinner and much needed margaritas (for $3.75!!!) before heading to bed. The next morning we loaded all of my gear yet again (Ely is a very good friend) and drove the final 4 hours through Indiana (there’s a first time for everything) into Chicago where we found my new apartment and started to settle in, spending the first few nights on air mattresses with nothing but camera equipment and a little forest of jade plants.

The first day in the new pad

Once settled in Chicago, we set out to see the new statue of Marilyn Monroe, which apparently has caused some controversy, and Anish Kapoor’s “Cloud Gate,” also known as The Bean.

Marilyn


Anish Kapoor's Cloud Gate

Me and Ely in the Bean

We also spent several hours in the Field Museum, which was amazing. Lastly, we spent Sunday at Market Days, a gay street festival in Boystown, which is only a few blocks from my apartment.

Ely at the Field Museum

Ely at Market Days

After Ely headed back to Arkansas, my mom and her partner, Chris, flew in from Boston to spend a few days with me helping me unpack. We got my things all moved into my apartment and almost completely unpacked within two days! It was quite impressive. There is no shortage of good restaurants and cute coffee shops in my neighborhood, and the three of us had a great time exploring Lakeview. My mom found a gelato shop that she went to three times! We had intended to head downtown and see the sculptures in Millenium Park, but we liked just hanging out in Lakeview so much that we never left. We also checked out the Brown Elephant resale shop, a thrift store that benefits the Howard Brown Health Center, where I scored some amazing apartment finds for super cheap. It reminded me of Boomerang's in Boston, but about 10 times bigger.

Thanks to the help from my mom and Chris, I am feeling mostly settled and getting ready for school to start in a few weeks.

My old cameras, books, and my beloved TT Baum painting

I’ve got a backlog of negatives to scan, from both Transcendence (which is ongoing- I am looking for trans and gender variant people in and around Chicago to photograph) and Open View (for which I recently finished photographing and now need to make sense of my hundreds of negatives). I plan to continue working on Transcendence while in grad school, and the next step for Open View is to put together an edit and start working on a book. I am hoping to have all of my negatives scanned before classes start.

And, in the coming weeks before classes start, I have plenty of time to go check out some galleries and museums, of which Chicago seems to have quite a few. I am excited to be here and am very much looking forward to beginning this 3 year adventure.

Art New England

2011-08-08T07:56:00.000-04:00

An image from my recent show at Gallery Kayafas is in the July/August issue of Art New England.

Review of Family Value at Michael Mazzeo Gallery

2011-07-25T17:55:00.001-04:00

Family Value was reviewed in The Villager. Read the review here.

Family Value at Michael Mazzeo Gallery

2011-07-03T13:36:00.000-04:00

For those of you in the NYC area, I'd love for you to join me on Thursday for the opening of Family Value, a summer portrait salon, at Michael Mazzeo Gallery.

Opening reception: Thursday, July 7, 6-8 p.m.
Show runs from July 7-August 5

Photos of me by other photographers

2011-06-24T09:55:00.002-04:00

Unlike many photographers, I enjoy being on both sides of the lens. I am always asking people to take their portraits and I like to return the favor to other photographers by posing for them.

Here are a few pictures my friend Ruben Natal-San Miguel took of me last week in NY. He loved my tattoos and focused on the textual ones (most of them).

My friend Caleb Cole came to my house a few weeks ago and made these two lovely portraits.

Thanks to both Ruben and Caleb for the wonderful photos!

An upcoming exhibition, the Indie Photobook Library, and a trip to NY

2011-06-17T09:55:00.003-04:00

Wow, it’s a busy summer already. So many exciting things are going on!

I’m excited to announce that four of my images from Transcendence (including the brand-new diptych below) will be in the show Family Value at the Michael Mazzeo Gallery in New York from July 7 through August 5. I’ll be there for the opening on July 7, so if you can make it to NY, please come by!

Self-portrait with mom (mirror), 2010

My book A Moment Collected: Photographs at the Harvard Art Museum and my recent exhibition catalogue A place so as to stay are featured on the Indie Photobook Library. Check them out here. A huge thanks to Larissa Leclair for putting together such an amazing resource and collection of books.

I spent the day yesterday in New York checking out galleries in Chelsea, and I saw some amazing work. My first stop was the Gillian Wearing show at the Tanya Bonakdar Gallery. I enjoyed the video portraits, but I was most interested in the three photographs in the upstairs part of the gallery where Wearing photographs herself as Andy Warhol, Robert Mapplethorpe, and Diane Arbus.

Gillian Wearing at the Tanya Bonakdar Gallery

I met up with my friend Ruben Natal-San Miguel and we stopped in to see the Alejandro Chaskielberg show at the Yossi Milo Gallery, which was absolutely stunning. The photographs are beautiful and have a very saturated, colorful feel to them.

Alejandro Chaskielberg at Yossi Milo

Next we stopped into the Li Songsong exhibit at the Pace Gallery. I was very taken with Songsong's paintings, which were large in scale and simultaneously abstract yet almost photo-realistic.

Li Songsong at Pace

We made our way over to the Michael Mazzeo Gallery to see my friend (and fellow MassArt Alum) Caleb Charland's show, which was wonderful. Caleb's work is very impressive and I was excited to see his work in person.

Caleb Charland at Michael Mazzeo Gallery

We headed up to 29th street to see the Robert Mapplethorpe show at the Sean Kelly Gallery, which was absolutely stunning. 50 Americans, one from each state, were given the opportunity to choose a Mapplethorpe photograph from his archive to be on display in the exhibition. Wall text beneath each photograph told you about the person who choose the image- their age, occupation, location, and race- and also had a few paragraphs about why they chose that piece. The show was incredibly moving and felt more like a museum exhibition than a gallery show. I only wish they had a catalogue because I wanted to take the show home with me and spend more time with it.

After having seen the Gillian Wearing show earlier in the day, it was especially interesting to see the original Mapplethorpe photo in this show.

Robert Mapplethorpe

Gillian Wearing

After a walk on the newly-opened section of the High Line, I ended up at the Deborah Bell Gallery and saw "Memories of the future: Ana Barrado/Rockets," which was wonderful.

I ended the evening with a lovely dinner with Deborah Bell and Gus Kayafas and then hit the road back to Boston. I'm looking forward to going back to NY in July to see more work and check out a few museums. There is never enough time to see it all!

Me and Ruben in the amazingly colorful AOL park

The AOL park from the High Line

The last photo to come out of my darkroom

2011-06-07T10:11:00.000-04:00

Me in my darkroom, photo by Eddy Pula

Well, it’s official. I have printed in my darkroom for the last time and am beginning to pack for my upcoming move to Chicago to start the Photography MFA program at Columbia College Chicago. I made a batch of new contact prints and one finished diptych in the last printing session, and now I’m starting the process of dismantling the darkroom. I have gone back and forth about how much of it I wanted to keep, but I have found a good home for it all. I’m passing it along to a friend and fellow photographer so that it can have another life as a NYC home darkroom. The thought of all of my equipment sitting around in a basement for the next 3 years makes me sad so I’m thrilled it’s going to be put to good use. It is bittersweet to be dismantling the darkroom that I so lovingly put together 4 years ago. It has served me well, allowed me to produce a great deal of work, and will be missed.

This past weekend I was away photographing at the Philadelphia Trans Health Conference, which was fantastic. I made twelve new portraits for Transcendence and also got to spend time with friends from around the country and make new ones. When I got home on Sunday, my friend and fellow MassArt grad Eddy Pula came over to my house and made this photo of me, the last photo to come out of my darkroom. I’m quite fond of it. Thanks Eddy!

Two openings next week!

2011-05-31T09:20:00.002-04:00

I am excited to be a part of two shows that open next week. Please join me at one or both if you can!

Flourish: Alumni Works on Paper

Massachusetts College of Art and Design
Paine and Bakalar Galleries
June 6-July 9, 2011
Opening Reception: Thursday, June 9, 6-8 p.m.

Flourish: Alumni Works on Paper is the first juried alumni exhibition to be held in the Bakalar and Paine Galleries at MassArt. Showcasing the breadth of talent and excellence embodied by MassArt’s artists and designers, this exhibition features the work of 64 international artists working in a range of disciplines—from sculpture to graphic and fashion design to photography.

I will have the following two works from A Place so as to Stay on display. This show has an impressive lineup of artists and I'm honored to be a part of it.

Dad with his shotgun, Little Rock, AR, 2009

Amiee in her piercing shop, Provincetown, MA, 2010

That's so Gay: 2011 Boston Pride Exhibition at Bunker Hill Community College

Bunker Hill Community College Art Gallery
June 6-August 5, 2011
Opening Reception: Tuesday, June 7, 6-8 p.m.

That's so Gay is a group exhibition of Boston area GLBT artists whose work in various media explores GLBT themes, identity, and politics.
I will have 9 images from Transcendence on display.

Self-portrait with mom, 2005

MassArt Commencement Remarks

2011-05-20T20:32:00.000-04:00

Graduates processing in

Me giving my remarks (photo courtesy of Hunter O'Hanian)

I was honored to give the "Charge to new alumni" at MassArt's commencement today. It was about all I could do to hold back my tears throughout the entire ceremony. I have such love for MassArt and am so proud to be an alum.

Here are my brief remarks:

Welcome, class of 2011. Congratulations on making it to this day after 4, 5, or 6 years at MassArt. It has undoubtedly not been easy, but you have learned skills here that you will use for the rest of your creative careers. I remember my own graduation day, feeling incredibly proud of what I had accomplished and also nervous and uncertain about what would come next.

As you all know, choosing to be an artist is an act of faith, an unwavering belief in yourself and your voice. You wouldn’t be here today if you didn’t feel like you had something to say, a way to contribute creatively to the world around you.

Over the past few years, your creative vision has been nurtured. You have been surrounded by a group of peers and faculty who have pushed you right up to the edge of your limits and then, quite often, beyond them, allowing you to prove to yourself and others what you are capable of. Though I knew what an amazing place MassArt was while I was a student, it wasn’t until I began working as an artist that I truly realized what a solid foundation I received and how critical that foundation would be to my career and my work.

There are a few things I wish someone had told me.

The first is that it’s not going to be easy, but it is certainly going to be worth it. As artists, we get to create our own rules and forge our own paths. As heroic as this sounds, it is also challenging and means that at every point in our lives we have to evaluate what we want, who we want to be in the world, and how to get there. At times it will seem insurmountable, but if you made it through four years at MassArt, you know that you can do anything you set your mind to, no matter how outside of the box or seemingly impossible it may be.

Second, you don’t have to go it alone. Though you are ending your time as a student, you are now part of a wonderful group of MassArt alumni, a network that is extensive and welcoming. If there is something you want to know, there will always be an alum that you can ask. MassArt alums are in every field of work, all across the country and the world. I got my first job after graduating through a fellow alum, and several years later, when I was in a position to hire, I hired from MassArt. MassArt pride and loyalty runs deep. Take advantage of it. Being an artist is often a solitary practice, but nobody gets where they want to be on their own. Help your fellow artists and they will help you.

Third, break the rules. There are always going to be people who tell you that you can’t do something, or that there is one way to do it. I would imagine by now you know this not to be true and I hope you stay strong in that conviction. I am thankful that my time at MassArt instilled in me a solid desire to achieve my goals my own way, not by following someone else’s path, and an unwavering belief that it is a journey worth taking.

Lastly, and most importantly, make the work you need to make. One of my professors told me, “If there is a question inside of you, say yes.” His words play over and over in my head, far more often than I could have anticipated. Every time I am faced with an uncertain situation, I hear his voice and it has literally kept me walking forward towards what I really want when my instinct is to turn around and take the easy way out. The same professor gave an assignment to photograph the thing that you are the most afraid of because fear, he believed, is a good indication of desire. Listen to the voice inside of you, even if it’s scary, because that is where your greatest work will come from. These two lessons have stayed with me and informed the way I approach my work and my life.

As you prepare for the next part of your journey, know that you are not leaving MassArt, only changing your relationship to it. Connect with other artists. Reach out. Ask for what you need. Break rules. Believe in your work. Think creatively about how to make the work you need to make and how to make a living. Collaborate with each other. And most of all, take pride in the fact that you have studied, worked, and grown as an artist at MassArt. It is a privilege and a badge of honor to be a MassArt alum. Wear it proudly.

Thank you.

Today's Boston Globe!

2011-05-12T15:03:00.000-04:00

I am honored that Cate McQuaid chose my current show at Gallery Kayafas as one of her gallery picks for this week. I especially like how she summed up the show as "two photographic meditations on place." It's wonderful and satisfying to hear my work so aptly summed up in five words.

Trans conference, visit to Open View, and a show opening

2011-05-04T10:30:00.001-04:00

This past weekend, I drove down to the Transgender Lives conference in Farmington, CT, where I gave an artist talk about my work Transcendence. The talk went wonderfully- I met lots of new folks and made quite a few new portraits. I continue to be humbled by the openness I find in my community, and I am thankful that people continue to share their stories with me. It was also a blast to see people I have photographed and known before from various places coming together. Here's a photo of me and my friend Jesse, who organized a big shoot for me last December and has since become a good friend.

Jesse and me before my talk

Late in the day on Saturday after a full day of presenting and making portraits, I hopped in my truck and headed straight to Open View Farm for a few days of photographing. There were two new lambs born on Friday and I photographed them while they were only a few days old. I can't believe I have been photographing at Open View for a full year. It was a very intense experience to realize I have been paying close attention to a place, observing all of its changes and recording what happens with the passing of time, for a full year. I started this project during spring lambing last year and now have come full circle. I will continue to photograph throughout the summer and will then begin the daunting but exciting task of editing a year's worth of work into a coherent project.

Me holding one of the 4 day old baby lambs at Open View

My show Jess T. Dugan: New Work opened at Gallery Kayafas a few weeks ago, but this Friday from 5:30-8:00 is the First Friday opening reception. If you are in Boston, I hope you can make it.
My book A Moment Collected: Photographs at the Harvard Art Museum is available for sale at the gallery as well as online here.

My dad is flying in from Arkansas to attend the opening on Friday, which is a rare treat! This is my last show as a Boston resident, as I'm moving to Chicago this fall to start the MFA Photography program at Columbia College Chicago. I am very excited for this next big adventure! Stop by Gallery Kayafas on Friday if you can- I'd love to see you.

Work from A Place so as to Stay

Work from A Moment Collected: Photographs at the Harvard Art Museum

Hank Willis Thomas lecture TODAY

2011-04-26T08:44:00.000-04:00

MASSACHUSETTS COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN 

PHOTOGRAPHY LECTURES, SPRING 2011

  HANK WILLIS THOMAS

April 26, 2PM

Mass College of Art and Design

621 Huntington Avenue

Boston, MA

 Tower Auditorium  

Click here for more information. 

All lectures are open to the public.

HANK WILLIS THOMAS is a photo conceptual artist working primarily with themes related to identity, history and popular culture. He received his BFA from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and his MFA in photography, along with an MA in visual criticism, from California College of the Arts (CCA) in San Francisco. Thomas’ monograph, Pitch Blackness, was published by Aperture in 2008. Thomas’ work is in numerous public collections including The Whitney Museum of American Art, the Brooklyn Museum, The High Museum of Art in Atlanta and the Museum of Fine Art in Houston. Recent exhibitions include “All Things Being Equal…” at the Goodman Gallery in Cape Town, Greater New York at P.S. 1/MoMa and Contact Toronto Photography Festival. Thomas is represented by Jack Shainman Gallery in New York City.

View more of Hank Willis Thomas's work here.

Books

2011-04-20T14:24:00.000-04:00

The books are selling quickly, so if you'd like one, get one here or pick one up at the opening on May 6th!

Photos from the opening

2011-04-16T11:10:00.001-04:00

Thank you to everyone who came out to the opening last night. It was a blast! One of my absolute favorite things is when the people in my photographs come to the opening, so I always try and take a picture of them in front of their portrait. Below are some photos from the evening:

A Place so as to Stay

My new book A Moment Collected: Photographs at the Harvard Art Museum

A Place so as to Stay

Shellburne from A Place so as to Stay

A Moment Collected: Photographs at the Harvard Art Museum

Arlette and me before the opening

Stuart and me standing in front of his portrait

Me and Rodney standing in front of his portrait

Michael and I being very serious in front of his portrait

Me and Judy in front of her portrait

David and Michael browsing A Moment Collected: Photographs at the Harvard Art Museum

Me and Chris

Me and Gus Kayafas

Sarah and Rodney, subjects in A Moment Collected: Photographs at the Harvard Art Museum

Sarah with her copy of the book

Karl, a subject in A Moment Collected: Photographs at the Harvard Art Museum, and me

Amiee and me in front of her portrait

Heather, the designer of the book and catalogue, with her partner Jo and their friend Andrea

Me and Heather

Jessie and Johnny

Me and Al Miner

Me and Vio

Shellburne and me in front of her portrait

Shellburne Thurber

Me, Sheryl, and Fish

Korrie and me

Opening tonight!

2011-04-15T10:51:00.000-04:00

My opening at Gallery Kayafas is this evening. If you're in the Boston area, I'd love for you to join me! I'll also have my new book, A Moment Collected: Photographs at the Harvard Art Museum available for sale.

Jess T. Dugan: New Work
Photographs from A Moment Collected: Photographs at the Harvard Art Museum and
A Place so as to Stay

Gallery Kayafas
450 Harrison Avenue
Boston, MA 02118
www.gallerykayafas.com

Opening reception and book release: Friday, April 15, 5:30-8:00 p.m.
First Friday reception: Friday, May 6, 5:30-8:00 p.m.

The catalogues are here!

2011-04-06T15:43:00.001-04:00

I'm so thrilled that the catalogues for my show are here. They look fantastic! A huge thank you to Heather Latham for the design. Swing by the opening at Gallery Kayafas on April 15th to snag a catalogue for yourself.

Thoughts on Portraiture on Fototazo

2011-04-05T22:24:00.001-04:00

I am honored that I am one of twelve photographers answering the question "what makes a good portrait?" on Fototazo, a unique photography site that combines social giving and photography. The site was started by photographer Tom Griggs in 2011 to raise funds to purchase equipment for young, emerging photographers from economically disadvantaged backgrounds from around the world that demonstrate a high level of artistic ability and commitment. Fototazo is also full of interviews with contemporary photographers, portfolios, and photography resources and is definitely worth a look. Check it out here. Stay tuned to the site to catch a wonderful piece that Tom put together on photographer Steven Tourlentes (that includes pieces of the interview I did with Steve in 2008 about his prison photographs).


Ryan and Alex, Philadelphia, PA, 2006 from Transcendence

Work from Transcendence was also recently featured on the U-Skill, a creative-oriented Italian website that covers fashion, art, photography, and communication. Check it out here.

Transcendence- Taan

2011-04-01T08:57:00.000-04:00

Taan, 2011

I've spent the last 17 years of my life pretending my chest wasn't mine. And then, I had top surgery. A switch happened; I had to care for this part of my body I rejected. In the months following surgery, I healed physically and re-connected my body to feel more whole.

A whole body is what I am working towards. I'm closer, but not there. I don't know the next steps, if there are next steps. The gender journey that I am traveling is a long winding road. I hope one day, I will be able to feel my body and inner self in unison. -Taan

The show's out the door!

2011-03-31T16:18:00.002-04:00

Plastic, 2008

Whew, after three months of working steadily to get my show ready, it is mostly done. At least, I've done my part! The prints are being framed, the book and catalogue are being printed, and I finally have a little bit of time to breathe between now and the opening. I am really looking forward to this show and am super excited to see my first book in print. It is amazing how much energy goes into producing a book. It has been an interesting process to put it all together, to say the least, and also very rewarding. It has made me fall even more in love with books and printed matter (anyone who has ever helped me move can attest to my love for books). I often conceptualize my projects as a book, and going through this process only further cemented that for me. I imagine many book and printing projects in my future. I can't wait for the opening and book release on April 15th.

I am finally catching up on e-mails, phone calls, reading other people's blogs, etc. I literally feel like I'm coming up for air after a few months under water.

The MassArt auction is coming up soon on Saturday, April 9th. I am thrilled to be a part of this amazing event. Every year, they put together a wonderful collection of work for sale as well as a beautifully printed catalogue. This year, they chose my photograph Violet holding eggs from Open View, and it's exciting for me to have new work on display. Attending the auction is one of the highlights of my year. For more information about the auction or to buy tickets, click here.

Violet holding eggs, 2010

I'm continuing to work on a few different projects, including Open View and Transcendence. I am nearing the end of my time photographing for Open View. I'm likely going to continue photographing through the summer and then begin the daunting task of editing it. I have taken so many images there since last May and will take many more before I start to make sense of it all. I have also been interviewing everyone in the project, which adds an interesting level to the work that I can't get to purely visually. Everyone on the farm has such complicated and interesting stories that I felt compelled to include more than just photographs. Exactly how the text and photographs will come together remains yet to be seen.

I am continuing to work on my new phase of Transcendence, photographing in color and collecting statements from my subjects. I have photographed several new people and am making my way through the scanning and editing process, and I also have many more on my list to photograph this spring and summer. It's full speed ahead on all counts, and now that my show production is mostly wrapped up, I can return to image production and focus on making new pictures. There is never a dull moment, thankfully.

Several shows and a book

2011-03-15T09:13:00.006-04:00

New Work at Gallery Kayafas

Wow, it has been a very busy month. I am right in the thick of preparing for my show New Work at Gallery Kayafas, which opens April 15^th and runs through May 28^th. I am showing work from two new projects, one of which is A Moment Collected: Photographs at the Harvard Art Museum and I am releasing a book of the same name. The book contains 49 photographs from the series along with an essay by Mary Malloy and an interview with Shellburne Thurber. I couldn’t be more excited about this book- it has been an amazing process to put it together and collaborate with these inspiring folks for the written part of it.

In addition, I will be showing work from my project A Place so as to Stay and am thrilled to see the prints, which are primarily triptychs, on the wall.

Dad in the woods, 2009

Printing Dad in the woods

This is the first time I’m exhibiting work from either of these projects and I’m super excited. We’re having two events- one of which is a book release- and I’d love to see you there. The book will be available beginning April 15 at the gallery and also on my website here.

Jess T. Dugan: New Work

Gallery Kayafas

450 Harrison Avenue

Boston, MA

April 15-May 28, 2011

Opening reception and book release: Friday, April 15^th 5:30-8:00

First Friday reception: Friday, May 6^th 5:30-8:00

Gender Matters/Matters of Gender

I am also excited to have work in the exhibition Gender Matters/Matters of Gender in the Freedman Gallery at Albright College along with fellow Gallery Kayafas artist Caleb Cole. This exhibition was curated by Judith Tannenbaum, the curator of contemporary art at the RISD art museum. I wish I could see it in person. If you're anywhere near Reading, PA, check it out:

Gender Matters/Matters of Gender

Freedman Gallery at Albright College

March 23-April 20, 2011

Shellburne Thurber: 9 Wellington Street exhibit opening this Saturday

Shellburne Thurber's exhibit 9 Wellington Street opens at the Barbara Krakow Gallery this Saturday from 3-5. If you are anywhere near Boston, I'd strongly suggest you make it. Shellburne is an incredible artist.

Shellburne Thurber: 9 Wellington Street

Barbara Krakow Gallery

10 Newbury Street

Boston, MA

March 19-April 26, 2011
Opening reception: Saturday, March 19 3:00-5:00

Below is an older photograph of Shellburne's, but her show will contain all new work and is certain to be a treat.

Chesson House: Bedroom corner with broken windows - view #1, 1998

Feature on Urbanautica

2011-02-24T11:36:00.000-05:00

I am thrilled that my work is featured today on Urbanautica, a web independent magazine dedicated to contemporary landscape photography and the human interface with the natural world.

A huge thanks to Steve Bisson for selecting my photographs!

Dad after work, 2006

Queer Me, Gender Matters/Matters of Gender, and Tucson, Arizona

2011-02-16T10:07:00.007-05:00

Whew, it has quickly become a very busy spring. I just got back from a trip to Tucson, Arizona, where I had the privilege of touring the University of Arizona's photography department and the Center for Creative Photography with my friend and former professor Frank Gohlke, both of which were amazing. A huge thanks to Frank, as well as to the grad students Daniel Cheek and Christiana Caro, who so generously showed me around. I can't wait to go back and spend some quality time with the photographs in the collection at the CCP. There was a wonderful portrait show up while I was there called Face to Face: 150 Years of Photographic Portraiture, which included work by Diane Arbus, Southworth and Hawes, Gertrude Kasebier, Edward Weston, Ansel Adams, Cindy Sherman, Barbara Bosworth, and many, many others. It was truly too much to take in at one time.

Center for Creative Photography lobby (photo from University of Arizona)

Tucson was also quite an experience in and of itself, especially since I have never spent any time in the southwestern part of the country. The Kartchner Caverns, Mount Lemmon, and the Sonora Desert Museum were all highlights, as was simply experiencing the desert and the completely different speed of life in Tucson.

Sunset from the top of Mount Lemmon

At the Sonora Desert Museum

Back on the East Coast, my photograph Corinne and Travis opened last week in the exhibition Queer Me at the LGBT Center in New York. Below are a few photos from the exhibition, which is up through March 31st if you happen to be in the NY area.

Hunter O'Hanian of MassArt in front of my photo

Installation shot

Installation shot of my work

Installation shot

I am packing up these three photographs to send to Albright College in Reading, PA for the exhibition Gender Matters/Matters of Gender which opens on March 24th and runs through April 20th. This exhibit was curated by Judith Tannenbaum, the Curator of Contemporary Art at the Museum of Art at the Rhode Island School of Design. I am thrilled to be included in this exhibition along with many other wonderful artists, including my friend and fellow Boston artist Ria Brodell. It has certainly been a busy year for both making and exhibiting work about gender for my project Transcendence.

Self-portrait with mom, 2005

Calvin, 2008

Julee in drag, 2006

And lastly, for the next month, I'll be busy printing for my upcoming exhibition at Gallery Kayafas, which opens on April 15th and runs through May.

Printing the middle panel of "Amiee in her piercing shop" for the show

Hope to see you there!

Harvard Art Museum acquisition

2011-01-30T20:17:00.001-05:00

I am so excited to announce that the Harvard Art Museum has acquired ten of my photographs for their permanent collection. The curators chose the following ten pieces from A Moment Collected: Photographs from the Harvard Art Museum, and I am greatly honored that these photos found a home in the very museum in which they were made. I'd like to say a huge thank you to everyone at the art museum who helped me make this project a reality, with an extra special thank you to the photography curators, Debi Kao and Michelle Lamuniere, for their support and encouragement.

Photographs from this body of work will be included in my upcoming exhibit at Gallery Kayafas in April 2011, where a book and a limited edition portfolio will also be available.

Al, Crew Chief, Custodial, 2008

Mary, Custodian, 2008

Tom, Director, 2008

Karl, Security Guard, 2008

Virginia, Assistant Curator of American Art, 2008

Rembrandt, 2008

Lecture Hall, 2008

Sculpture (packed), 2008

Ceiling Lights, 2008

Plastic (packed sculpture), 2008

Transcendence- Aaron

2011-01-29T08:54:00.001-05:00


Aaron, 2010

My name is Aaron. I am 58 years old, single, and identify as a heterosexual male (sometimes Transgender- depending on the circumstances). I enjoy working out and sharing meaningful conversation, especially about spirituality and the politics of religion. I am a social justice activist and believe we can (and must) change the world to make it a better, kinder, more just place. What you may not know just by looking at me is that I am a licensed clergy and a chaplain. - Aaron

Transcendence- Tony

2011-01-19T09:33:00.005-05:00

Tony, 2010

When I realized I was transgender I didn't do cartwheels. I didn't know anyone else like me. I remember going to the beach and crying, wondering if I wanted to live. Wondering, if my life was so unbearable now, how would it be if I came out as trans?

Then something happened... I’m not sure what. I realized that I had the opportunity to create myself into the person I always wanted to be. I remember asking myself, what do I need to do to become that person? There was a very long list of “to dos.” I knew that the anger I carried would come in the way of the person I wanted to create, so I worked very hard to let go of the anger. I forgave everyone who abused me, including myself. Once I let go of the anger, my soul filled with compassion.

I believe that what moved me to be a Transgender Youth Advocate and the Co-founder and President of the Jim Collins Foundation was how my life changed when I finally felt like I had a community and that I wasn't alone anymore.

I can honestly say that I would not change anything about my past. I truly believe that my past is what created “Tony.” - Tony

Transcendence- Alex

2011-01-14T15:30:00.003-05:00

Alex, 2010

My name is Alejandro. I identify as Trans and queer, having always been attracted to both women and men. Knew I should have been born a boy at a very young age. Didn't want dolls or girl-ish things. Never felt female. Girls called me Tomboy. Boyish. Mannish. Puberty felt like a cruel joke with its blood and bras. Didn't know where to look in the high school locker rooms. Embraced my bisexuality in college. I was frustrated with my body, almost trying to live my life in spite of it. Fell in love with the curly red-haired girl. She broke my heart like no other has or ever will. Enjoyed fuck-buddy romps with a campus bad boy soccer player. Came out as queer.

In 2008, someone I met saw the man trapped inside me. Alive doesn't explain how I felt. I did what I had to do. Sometimes it seems as if nothing has changed except my body. Other times, it's as if I'm doing everything for the first time all over again. I used to think taking the steps to transition was the most selfish thing I could ever do. All the people I was afraid of losing; my family, my friends, the women I loved were in the balance. The ultimate sacrifice for the ultimate selfish act. Quid pro quo. I was right. It was selfish. But I did it anyway. And I’d do it again, only sooner. It is never too late to live your life as who you are.

My family has nothing but love and support for me. Old friends I've kept in touch with continue to be especially dear friends. Among my new friends are some of the most courageous and extraordinary people: Aaron, Jesse, and Tony. I can honestly say I would not be here if it wasn't for each one of those men. Each one stepping into my life when he did was nothing short of divine intervention. Yes, some folks have distanced themselves, some need time to get used to me, or just stopped talking to me. What is lost is not missed. I expected as much from the start. What was not anticipated was the community, and the acceptance. I am so not alone. I am free to be myself. Still queer after all these years. I am my own man. -Alex

Chest surgery adventure, Day 3

2011-01-12T18:13:00.002-05:00

We're on day three of the chest surgery photo adventure. Alex had his surgery yesterday around 10:30 a.m., and everything went very well. There was a mall near the surgery center, so Olex and I entertained ourselves while we waited for Alex. We found a Chik-fil-A and had some lunch, and it dawned on me that I hadn't eaten Chik-fil-A since I was two days post-op from my own chest surgery in Plano, Texas on January 5, 2005. Apparently I only eat Chik-fil-A around chest surgery events. Funny coincidence.

We got Alex back to the hotel around 4:00, where he settled in nicely and quickly fell asleep, but not before I snapped this celebratory photo of him feeling very excited about his new chest. Once he fell asleep, I took my first 4 x 5 photographs of him post-op.

Alex, 3 hours post-op and settled into the hotel

He is healing remarkably well. This morning he even walked outside and sat in front of the hotel for a while.

One day post-op, sitting outside

Today, after he woke up for his midday pain pill, he had enough energy to pose for a few photographs. I took his portrait sitting upright in his bed, his hoodie unzipped to show his binder and drains. I am so excited to see how these images turn out. There is something very beautiful about the way the light falls on him from the window by his bed and about the redness of the drains against an otherwise white background. I am really thankful he is letting me be so involved with his chest surgery and allowing me to photograph him all along the way. He seems pretty excited to see all of the photos, too. I took this photo through my ground glass after I had exposed a few sheets of film of the same shot. It's a little fuzzy, but it's making me pretty excited to see the real photo.

Alex through my view camera

It has been interesting for me to see how much I do or don't remember about my own surgery process while being here. I find myself somewhat subconsciously mimicking the way my mom, her partner Chris, and my friend Amy (all of whom were with me for surgery) acted towards me. It is amazing to see how familiar this whole process feels to me, despite the fact that it has been six years since I went through it. Yesterday in recovery, I spoke with one of the nurses quite a bit about Alex's surgery and the experiences of other patients, and at one point I told her how surprised I was to hear that many of Dr. Garramone's patients report hardly needing any pain medication following surgery. This was shocking to me, as I was on intense pain meds for several days before weaning myself off and switching to Advil. She told me that over the past six years, there have been great improvements in the tools and procedures used to do this surgery, which often result in less pain and easier healing. I know everyone handles pain and surgery differently, but it was very encouraging to think that great strides have been made in such a relatively short period of time.

I am honored to be a witness to Alex's process and am glad I am here with him to help out in any way I can. So far, we have been having a wonderful time and all is going well.

"Transcendence" featured on Italian photography site Tevac Photo

2011-01-11T18:34:00.000-05:00

I am thrilled that work from Transcendence is featured today on the Italian photography website Tevac Photo. Thanks to Eugenio for putting together this wonderful piece!

Sam and Gina on Sunday morning, 2006

Day 1 in Florida

2011-01-10T18:07:00.004-05:00

After a somewhat delayed flight out of Boston yesterday, I arrived in Florida last night and was delighted to step outside of the terminal into 70 degree weather. Apparently, I've forgotten what it's like to feel warm, especially in January. After a cab ride and lots of palm tree sightings, I arrived with my friends at the hotel where we're staying for Alex's surgery. I have never been so excited to see a 7-Eleven across the street in my life- it provided dinner last night and has proved invaluable for early morning coffee runs.

Palm trees in front of the hotel

It is amazing to me that I first photographed Alex almost 3 years ago, at which point he had been on testosterone for exactly two months, and now here I am in his hotel room on the eve of his chest surgery. I took a few portraits of him and his chest this morning, knowing that I had better get it right, because this was the only opportunity I had to photograph him in his current state. After tomorrow, his chest will never look like this again. He is very gracious with allowing me to photograph him so intimately.

Alex filling out paperwork

I went with him to his pre-op appointment, where I met his surgeon, Dr. Charles Garramone. Not only did Dr. Garramone agree to let me photograph him, he was actually pretty excited about it and was more than willing to sit for me as long as I needed him to. He said he felt like Abe Lincoln being photographed, which I found endearing. After I made his portrait, I sat in his chair and let him look through my view camera to see, essentially, the shot I had just taken. He also graciously allowed me to photograph during the pre-op appointment, which I did, though I only took a few pictures. He is a very nice person and is also, from what I've been told, a very accomplished surgeon. It was an honor to meet him.

Me with my camera gear on the way to the pre-op appointment

Tomorrow morning, I'll go with Alex to his surgery appointment, and then it's back at the hotel for pain meds, rest, and some more pictures as soon as he feels up to it. I am thrilled with how things are going so far, and very much looking forward to whatever the rest of the week brings.

A chest surgery photo adventure

2011-01-08T20:31:00.001-05:00

I'm busy packing my bags in preparation for a trip with a friend of mine to Florida, where he is having chest surgery next week. I first photographed him in 2007, when he had just began taking testosterone. A few months ago, he told me he was planning to have chest surgery and asked if I would be interested in photographing him again, and of course I was. Though originally he asked me to photograph him post-op in Boston, one conversation led to another, and he is so graciously allowing me to accompany him to Florida to photograph and be a part of his experience.

I am thrilled to be involved in his journey, and I am greatly humbled that he trusts me enough to let me be a part of what is bound to be a very intense and personal experience. I remember the intensity and excitement of my own chest surgery, though now that I am 6 years post-op, I almost can't remember what it felt like to inhabit a body that didn't feel like mine. Though it took me years to get used to my chest, now it feels like it has always been this way, flat and masculine.

I have also received permission to photograph his surgeon, which I am greatly looking forward to. Part of my goal with this project is to include providers who work with our community, and this will be the first portrait I make of a surgeon.

I could never fully articulate how grateful I am that people continue to allow me into their lives to make photographs, nor could I ever express how profoundly my connections with other queer and trans folks affect me. I am very much looking forward to this trip, as it will be the first time I have spent a full week experiencing and documenting someone else's experience with chest surgery. I've got bags full of cameras and film, a few clothes, my journal, and my copy of "Butch is a Noun" by S. Bear Bergman, which seems like appropriate reading for such a journey.

Below are the two photographs I took of Alex in 2007. I can only imagine how thrilled he must be that after next week, he will never have to wear that binder again. Alex also has a website about his transition for those who are interested.

Alex, 2007

Alex's Binder, 2007

Transcendence- Jesse

2011-01-06T11:10:00.000-05:00

Jesse, 2010

When I was a kid, I didn't feel like a guy or a girl. My transition wasn't about becoming a man, but my own personal version of the middle. An amalgamation of my favorites, to suit my everyday and long term needs. No pressure from either side, I'm free to do what I want. - Jesse

Transcendence- Jaime and Michelle

2011-01-04T09:16:00.003-05:00

We got together in 2007. We tell everyone we met at a Monster Truck Rally but really we met online. Those are really the same thing anyway. -Jaime and Michelle

Jaime and Michelle, 2010

Michelle:

I knew Jaime was genderqueer before we met and that he would eventually transition. I had never dated anyone who was trans even though most of my exes were on the butch side. We opened up to each other a lot before we met, writing emails and talking about ourselves in a way that was surprising, I think, to both of us, since we didn’t know each other and neither of us had a history of striking up internet relationships with random strangers. I totally harassed him into meeting me but we haven’t left each other’s side since.

In the early stages of our relationship we talked all the time about his transitioning, and it was scary for me. Being the femme partner of a transguy is both exhilarating and difficult. It is difficult since I’m also a mom and people automatically assume I’m straight. I bristle against losing the little bit of visibility I have as a queer. And it is exhilarating because I get to share this crazy transformative experience with someone I love with every bit of my life and body. All of the fears I had haven’t disappeared, but they seem to matter less now than they did a few years ago.

I guess that is because at the end of the day, when we are wrapped around each other and falling asleep and whispering and talking and fucking, the only thing that matters is the gift of what each of us is and how we share what we are with each other. Jaime has challenged me to grow in ways I didn’t think were possible—he makes me question all of my preconceived notions about who and what I am. He has helped me come back into touch—literally and figuratively—with the radical possibilities of living truthfully to oneself without sacrificing empathy for others. Watching him transition and make sense of his body, his refusal to not live in it even if that can be painful, his desire to get beyond the pain of that and still find utter joy and pleasure in it—god, it makes me hot for him at the same time that it helps me relate to my own body in healthier ways.

Jaime:

I think part of what brought us close initially, besides -or laced into- the visceral attraction, was shared -though in no ways identical- experiences of growing up in rural northern new England and living “closeted” lives without queer role models, peers, or reference points. We met at points in both of our lives when we were striving to both reconcile the past, places and selves we’d “left behind,” and simultaneously live out /claim/authenticate whole versions of ourselves. …on our own terms. Michelle immediately inspired me -through her refusal to be quiet, invisible, or defined by others as well as her love and acceptance of who I was and who I was becoming- to take more chances, to find my voice, and to live my truth outwardly …in ways I’d previously held back from or shied away from.

In my ideal world, there could be as many gender identities as there are people; No longer any need for narrow, rigid dichotomous categories used to rank and order people within an oppressive, hierarchical, sexist homophobic system. We would also update our language a touch to reflect these more nuanced, fluid, multiplicitous identities. In THIS world however, I have a vexed relationship with gender categories and with how to express and explain my own identity. In order to be a “legible,” viable social entity, it seems, one must “choose” one and only one (a or b, x or y, man or woman, he or she). However, I feel like both/neither/none of the above/all of the above. Further complicating the scenario for such a die-hard social constructionist as I, is my relationship with my body and my desire to physically alter it through hormones and surgeries. I would prefer mass social - political - cultural transformation to this individual physical transition, but in the mean time it helps me to live more comfortably and empowered in my own skin.

Transcendence- Ace

2010-12-30T10:03:00.001-05:00

A new photograph from Transcendence. I really love this photograph and am so grateful to have had the opportunity to meet awesome people like Ace.

Ace, 2010

"My name is Ace. I identify as male (female-to-male). I've been out in the community as male since I was 14 years old. I knew who I was at 11 years old. I was always looked at as the tough "lesbian" since I was little, but always referred to myself as queer/gay.

Being an FTM of color, people already give me the stereotype of a dark skin, bad behaving person, that has no morals. Even when I completely pass as a guy I am still looked down upon as someone of lesser value in certain places. I have seen some people respect me more for being an FTM of color and others look at me like I am only doing it to try to pass as a male just to have power in society.

Facing many different challenges in my life has made me a stronger person today, and I wouldn't change anything. Something people don’t know about me is that I can be a hopeless romantic, and I enjoy being a shoulder for others in need." -Ace

Transcendence- Micah and Michelle

2010-12-27T20:28:00.000-05:00

Two more new photographs from Transcendence:


Micah, 2010

Michelle and Micah, 2010

"Transcendence. Being yourself in spite of the world. What does it mean for me that I have embraced my transgender identity? It means that I can now look at my body and all of its flaws with pride and a genuine smile. It means being able to look in the mirror and marvel at the way that my Creator God made me. It means that the world finally makes sense. It means that I can sit before you exposed knowing that you are looking at a 300 pound person without fear of judgment. I can see me for the first time and not the weight. It means that you are finally seeing the real me. With each and every day that comes I am able to present more and more of who I really am to the world. And that is the beautiful miracle of me coming out to myself as transgender... I am no longer a foreigner living in a strange body but rather me living in a body that I reclaim and am now reshaping into who I was created in the flesh to be... A man created for the purpose of serving God." -Micah

Transcendence- Jesse

2010-12-23T08:35:00.000-05:00

I have recently been making a lot of new photographs for Transcendence, shooting in color and collecting stories from my subjects. I am only in the beginnings of this new part of the project, but I'm very excited about it. Yesterday I got my first batch of color negatives back, and below is one of my favorite portraits of a wonderful person, Jesse.


Jesse

"For years I thought that what I had been feeling inside would eventually dissipate. I was afraid that I'd lose people. I never really felt like a man or wanted to be a man, I just knew I wasn't a woman and I wanted to be comfortable with my body and for the dysphoria to go away. I wished I could be comfortable being somewhere in between. I longed to know what inner peace felt like. Though I now look like a man, blending in in the world and never standing out, I still feel like I'm somewhere in between except now things finally feel right. That's the only way that I know how to explain it. My identity is ever-evolving. Today, I am just a happy guy who happens to be trans and queer. Ask me next week and it will likely have changed a bit." - Jesse

New photos from Open View

2010-12-19T09:38:00.000-05:00

Here are some new photos from Open View. As you can see by the weather, it takes me a little while to edit and scan, so these photos are from late September, but I've been shooting regularly since then and will have more photos to post soon.

Puja preparing Cow for the fair

Puja and Cow

Avery

Cooking

Dan and Kyla

Campfire

The farmhouse at night

Skulls and skins

Flystrip

Sometimes it takes two years to make a picture

2010-12-14T11:00:00.002-05:00

Judy, Curatorial Associate, Mammalogy, Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology, 2010

I first met Judy two years ago. As part of my museum studies program, I took a class called "Collections and Curation," which was taught by the Curator of Minerals at the Harvard Mineralogical Museum, Carl Francis. As part of this class, we took a behind-the-scenes tour of the collections storage at the Museum of Comparative Zoology, where Judy works as, essentially, the keeper of the mammals. Her title is much more formal, of course, but I came to learn that she has worked in the mammal department for the past 21 years and is clearly an integral part of the department. She had set up all of these animals for our class to see, and she was standing behind a bench full of hides and skeletons, talking about her job and her interest in mammals. She told wild stories of seeing a moose on the side of the road and making an impromptu decision to pull over, skin it, and load as much of it as possible into the back of her pickup truck, both to keep for the museum and to eat. She explained all about how the museum gets new specimens, what she does with them once they arrive, and the kind of research that they're used for. At one point, she held up a bat for us to see, one hand on either wing, stretching it out in front of our class before returning it to its little jar for safe keeping.

I was immediately taken with her. Here was this incredible woman, so passionate and knowledgeable about mammals- I instantly wanted to photograph her. I approached her after class and explained that I'm a photographer and asked to take her picture. She was very nice and took my business card, but for one reason or another, we never got in touch after that.

Fast forward one year, by which point I had finished the museum studies program and was hired by the same curator mentioned above, Carl Francis, to photograph his collection of minerals, which placed me in the same building as Judy. Long story short, I got to know her since I now worked in the same museum complex that she did, and after many, many months and multiple attempts to make a photo appointment, we finally got together last month and made the picture that has been on my mind since I met her that first day, over two years ago.

It turns out that Judy is an even cooler woman than I knew back then, and we have plans to take another photo of her with her horse, Seeya. Sometimes, people and moments just stick in your mind, and you can't rest until you've captured them on film. Even if it takes two years.

598 miles

2010-12-06T08:51:00.001-05:00

598. It's a good thing I like driving my little pickup, because that's how many miles I put on it this weekend. I left Boston Thursday morning, heading west to Open View Farm to continue photographing as the weather turns colder and we are officially entering winter here in Massachusetts. As always, being at the farm was a wonderful experience and I left with a bag full of exposed film. It is interesting to look back at the photos I've made so far and see how much everything has changed. I don't notice the changes so much from trip to trip, but looking back at the contact prints from the summer makes it drastically apparent how much things change season to season. I photographed many of the daily farm activities, such as feeding animals and gathering sheep for worming, but I also took some photographs that I'm particularly excited about of Emmy and one of her neighbors making wreaths for a craft fair. There were evergreen clippings everywhere and it smelled absolutely wonderful! It excites me to include activities like this in the farm project, as it is about much more than the actual farm work. It is about the sense of community that is both intentional and essential to living on a rural farm in Western Mass. This sense of community is what drew me to the farm originally and what continues to make it a place I love.

On Saturday, I drove from Western Mass to a town right outside of New Haven, Connecticut to photograph a group of people for my trans project. I am usually the one seeking out subjects for my project, but in this case, the subjects found me and asked to be included in my project (a huge thanks to Jesse for organizing the day!). I am always looking for new people to photograph, so of course I said yes. They took it upon themselves to organize an entire day of photo shoots and even made a huge pot of delicious chili for everyone to eat! Most importantly, I had a great time getting to know 8 wonderful people. I am truly humbled that I am invited into peoples' lives in this way and thankful for the opportunity to keep making my work. Many of them told me how important they think my trans project is because it puts a positive and accessible face to an often marginalized and overlooked community, which I found very moving. At the end of the day, this is the goal- to show trans and gender variant people to the world in a way that allows others to see and connect with who we are and to begin to bridge the gap of understanding. It is also so important to me that the images resonate with other trans folks, and I'm honored that people find the images validating and are excited to be a part of the project.

I am very actively working on this project and will be showing my work at the First Event Conference this January in Peabody and also plan to attend the Trans Health Conference this June in Philadelphia. I am interested in photographing anyone who identifies as transgender or gender variant as well as the providers that work with our community, such as surgeons and gender therapists. If you are interested in being photographed for the project, or in hosting an artist talk or exhibition, please e-mail me at jesstdugan@gmail.com.

After this amazing day of photo shoots, I drove back to Western Mass for my last night at the farm. I went with Emmy, Puja, Violet, Jennieke (and the farm dog, Puppy!), to church on Sunday morning to photograph. I am thankful to the church congregation for being so welcoming to the guest from the city lugging around a big tripod and camera. I try to change my film while the choir is singing so nobody hears the click click click of the film advance lever, but I'm sure I still don't go completely unnoticed. In the afternoon, I photographed Emmy choosing which sheep will go to slaughter next week before packing up my truck with far too many camera bags and a huge bag full of vegetables and heading home. When I was unpacking my film holders last night, back in Boston, I was overcome with the smell of campfire coming from my photo bag, which left me with a huge smile. I can't wait to see the new photos.

Interview on Two Way Lens and some other fun announcements

2010-11-30T14:04:00.004-05:00

I am thrilled to have been interviewed by Michael Werner for his blog, Two Way Lens. Michael has interviewed a variety of amazing photographers about their work and their careers and I'm honored to be included. A huge thank-you to Michael for his interest in my work!

Cut, Healed, Mine: Processing Top Surgery now has a blog where you can see the work in the show and read about the artists. The actual show is up through January at The Meeting Point in Boston for those who would like to see it in person.

I am also honored to have a photograph in Aline Smithson's Family Exhibition on Lenscratch, an absolutely wonderful blog that is always chock-full of work by interesting photographers.

Take a look at these three wonderful websites if you have a chance, and thanks to everyone for your support!

A thank-you note

2010-11-18T09:21:00.006-05:00

Within the past week, I have had several experiences that have left me moved, inspired, and amazed at how photography acts as a means of connection and intimacy for me, in the most surprising ways.

Over the weekend, I did a photoshoot for The (Trans)Gender Series, and I can't wait to develop the film. I have been working on this project for so many years that the amount of time I spend on it necessarily ebbs and flows. This is partially due to the fact that I prefer to meet subjects in a more natural way than taking out an ad looking for trans or gender variant folks. There are times when I have a long list of people to photograph and there are times when I don't, and I focus on other projects. Recently, I've had a resurgence of opportunities to work on this project and to share the work with others. Just this fall, I have had photos from The (Trans)Gender Series in 3 shows, which has led me to meet new people and hear their stories. I have also been inspired by recent events such as hearing Ivan E. Coyote and S. Bear Bergman read, the I AM: Trans People Speak campaign that the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition released last week, the Cut, Healed, Mine show at The Meeting Point, and many other events and experiences. I was recently contacted by someone expressing his interest in being photographed for this series, and he set up a photo shoot for me with 7 transguys! I am very much looking forward to this shoot and am humbled by his interest and generosity of his time and energy.

My favorite part about photography is that it connects me with people in a way that I would completely miss out on if I weren't photographing them. I find myself hearing very personal stories and am humbled that people feel safe enough to share these stories with me. I photographed someone this past week for A Place so as to Stay, and because she had seen the photograph of myself and my mom on my website, we got into a very personal conversation about my journey as well as recent struggles she had been going through. I found this experience particularly moving because we hardly knew each other prior to the shoot, and the photo I had asked to take of her wasn't about gender or surgery in any way. I was reminded that by putting myself out there, I am opening up a door for other people to put themselves out there in an equally intimate way. I was still reeling from this wonderful experience when I got two e-mails from people I have never met before, asking me about my experience with chest surgery and thanking me for making my work, telling me it helped inspire them to be who they are. This kind of feedback is what I live for, why I make my work, why I find photography so compelling. It connects me with people, and them with me, and hopefully with others, in a way that is unique to this particular form of expression. It has the power to start dialogue and to change minds and hearts.

Sometimes I get so focused on things like balancing exhibition deadlines, scheduling photo shoots, and making time to work in the darkroom that I need these sorts of intimate experiences to cause me to take a step back from the practicality of it all and remind me why I do what I do. While most of my writing and talking about my work emphasizes the exciting parts of being a photographer, like meeting amazing people and having exhibitions, there are also times when it feels hard, both to be a genderqueer person in a binary society and to be trying to positively affect the world through photography.

So thank you to everyone who has so generously sat for a photograph, to everyone who has shared their life with me, and to everyone who has written or told me such kind words about my work. I appreciate it all more than you know.

A few new photos

2010-11-10T14:44:00.004-05:00

Here are a few new photos from A Place so as to Stay. In all honesty, I took them in July/August but am just now getting them scanned and online. I especially love the photograph of Amiee, the wonderful piercer in Provincetown. I showed up one sleepy Sunday morning in August to take her photo, and while I was waiting for her to finish a piercing, I met Stephen (below) and found him too beautiful to not photograph. I love chance meetings like that.

Amiee in her piercing shop, 2010

Stephen, 2010

Wishing, 2010

Angela, Volunteer at the Harvard Museum of Natural History, 2010

Photos from Cut, Healed, Mine

2010-11-09T10:37:00.001-05:00

The opening of Cut, Healed, Mine: Processing Top Surgery was a wonderful and moving experience. I am so honored to have work in this important show and to be a part of an amazing queer community here in Boston. A huge thanks goes to Taan Shapiro for organizing the show and to AndreA of The Meeting Point for giving space for the show to be hung there.

This week has been full of inspiration. Within a matter of a few days, I was lucky enough to attend this fabulous opening as well as the Dangerous Mammals Tour: Please don't feed or tease the animals, where Ivan Coyote and S. Bear Bergman read their amazing, honest, gut-wrenching writing. I am so thankful to have a community of my people around me and to have the opportunity to be inspired by the creative work of others in a way that fuels me forward with my own work and in my own life.

I am proud to be queer. I am proud to be butch. I am proud to be an artist. And, I'm proud of my history, of all of the butches and queers who have come before me and paved the way for me to be who I am. For them, I wear a tattooed star on my left wrist, a reminder of the power and strength of solidarity and the monumental fight it took to begin to pave the way for the younger generation of queers such as myself. Thank you, gender warriors, past and present, for being true to yourselves and for fighting right alongside me. You are my people.

Below are some photos from the opening of Cut, Healed, Mine:

Me and Taan, the show's organizer

Mycroft and me

Alex and me

Me and Elizabeth

The crowd listening to the artists speak

My photograph Corinne and Travis

Untitled by Caden Muekiner

Drains on Taan by Laura Evonne Steinman (top) and

Xander by Haeden Roswell Peaslee (bottom)

Healing Taan by Laura Evonne Steinman

My photographs Self-portrait with mom (left) and Calvin (right)

Me with my work

The Archive: The Journal of the Leslie/Lohman Gay Art Foundation

2010-11-04T16:29:00.000-04:00

I am thrilled that my image Julee in Drag is featured in an article about the 2010 Great LGBTQ Photo Show in The Archive: The Journal of the Leslie/Lohman Gay Art Foundation. The author, Enrico Gomez, wrote:

"The gender focus took on a playful edge in Julee in Drag by Jess T. Dugan. A part of Dugan's (Trans)Gender Series, drag king Julee squints into the camera, mustachioed and James Dean like, oozing a restrained swagger. From the artist's blog, photographer Dugan shares 'gender sometimes seems to me as a uniform, something malleable. The pictures of drag kings also sometimes seem that way: a hyper-caricaturized masculinity that individuals can put on and take off.'"

I am especially fond of the phrase "oozing a restrained swagger." I had never thought about it quite that way before, but I think it is an accurate description of Julee in this particular photograph.

Thanks to the Leslie/Lohman Gay Art Foundation for putting on such an amazing show and for publishing such an amazing journal!

Lots going on

2010-11-03T15:30:00.003-04:00

Whew, it's been a busy few weeks! I spent the weekend photographing at Open View Farm, which was absolutely wonderful. It's hard to believe that I'm 6 months into the project. Every trip yields new portraits that I'm so excited about, and the project continues to grow and get more complex. I'm going to work on getting everything scanned in the next week, so expect some new photos here shortly!

Another aspect of the project that I have been really enjoying is making audio interviews with everyone who lives or works on the farm. This past weekend, I made new audio interviews with Dan and Kyla, two farmers and all around cool people. I am so inspired by hearing their stories of what led them to farming and the political and social implications of their decisions. Choosing to live a life where the goal is simultaneously living self-sufficiently and fostering an intentional community is a very political and unique choice. Interviewing them gave me a chance to ask questions about these choices and get to understand their lives further. I don't yet know when or how I'll share the information from these interviews, but I know they're going to be an integral part of the work. Every time I visit, I make one or two new interviews, and am looking forward to continuing to capture the oral history of the farm as well as making pictures of the ever-changing people, animals, and landscape.

Here are a few snapshots from the visit:

Violet playing in the leaves

Lovebug the Ram

The sun coming through the beautiful morning clouds

(don't worry- I made a few pictures of this gorgeous light with my 4 x 5, too)

Yesterday I had the privilege of hearing Dawoud Bey speak at MassArt, which was one of the most moving and inspiring lectures I've ever been to. I admire his work and approach to art making so much and feel very grateful that this wonderful photographer came to Boston. I feel absolutely high with inspiration and re-invigorated and excited by having heard him speak and seeing his compelling, intimate, important photographs. You can see more of his work here.

Last week, I joined photographer Robert Siegelman at the Simmons College Graduate School of Social work, where we both had work on display in honor of National Coming Out Day, to give an artists talk. I was showing eight photographs from The (Trans)Gender Series, one of my earliest projects. Given my comfort level with the subject, I tend to forget that it can still be viewed as edgy or radical, even in Boston. Robert's work deals with issues of gay male identity (and even, gasp, shows a penis or two) and apparently our work caused quite a stir during the month that it was on display. I think we were both quite surprised to show up for the artists talk and hear about all of the buzz the show had caused. In fact, the curators chose to put up a bulletin board for comments to provide an outlet for all of the comments they had been overhearing. One person wrote, "I was shocked! That's for sure," and another wrote, "Very graphic! Not for families!" The latter comment caused someone else to respond in defense of how the show could actually be very good for families and to question what constitutes a family in the first place. One comment that I especially liked read, "These pictures are frank, bold, strong, and could be offensive. But sometimes in life we need a mild form of offending to challenge our thought process and help mold our views! In a nutshell, I LOVE THEM!!!"

I am very interested at the use of the words "offensive" and "shocking." I would argue that both Robert's work and my own is very loving, present, and beautiful. While I recognize that queer identities can be shocking to people who aren't familiar with them, I don't feel that our work aims to be shocking in its presentation or approach to the subject matter. I certainly don't aim for shock value, but rather for openness and accessibility. I was thrilled to see this kind of dialogue beginning and hope that it continues after the show comes down.

I'll post a few photos of the work, as well as a photo of the comment board, below. I was honored to be part of that show and pleasantly surprised that queer work can still cause a ruffle, even among a bunch of Simmons social work grad students.

The comment board

Rob's work

My work

Installation view of my work

Melsen, 2007

And lastly, I'm looking forward to having three photos from the same series on display at The Meeting Point in Jamaica Plain as part of the show Cut, Healed, Mine: Processing Top Surgery. There will be an opening this Saturday, November 6 at 7 p.m., and the show will be on display through the end of 2010. If you have a chance, stop by and see it! The following 3 photos will be on display:

Self-portrait with mom, 2005

Corinne and Travis, 2006

Calvin, 2008

Dawoud Bey Lecture TODAY at MassArt

2010-11-02T08:37:00.000-04:00

I am very much looking forward to this lecture today! I admire Dawoud Bey a great deal and his work is a huge inspiration to me.

Dawoud Bey Lecture
MassArt Tower Auditorium
Tuesday, November 1
2 p.m.

Interview with Steve Tourlentes

2010-10-27T12:21:00.002-04:00

In honor of Steve's work being on exhibit at the ICA, I am re-posting an interview I did with him in 2008, originally published on Big, Red, & Shiny. More of Steve's work can be seen on his website.

Carson City, NV, Death House, 2002

Steve Tourlentes is a graduate of Knox College and Massachusetts College of Art, where he earned an MFA in 1988. Since 1996, Tourlentes has been photographing rural and suburban landscapes where penitentiaries are constructed, seen only by the bright light they emit at night. He is a recipient of grants from the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, the Polaroid Corporation, and the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

Jess T. Dugan: What is your background in the arts, and how did you come to photography?

Steve Tourlentes: My parents were very involved in the arts while I was growing up. My father always took pictures and set up a small darkroom in our house when I was a teenager. I studied art while an undergraduate at Knox College in Galesburg, IL. After graduation I moved to Boston with some friends and played in a band for several years. Clearly the music career was not happening, so I enrolled in the MFA program at Massachusetts College of Art.

JTD: Let’s talk about your photographs of prisons. How did you begin to photograph prisons?

ST: The State of Illinois built a new medium security prison in my hometown in the late 1980’s to replace a large state mental hospital that my father had been superintendent of during the 1960’s. In a town that was in economic decline it was unusual to see these new bright lights illuminating the horizon that had once just been cornfields. There had been talk of building a prison before but the local community was always against it. When the hospital was closed and jobs were lost the prison plan became much more palpable based on people needing jobs. I made one image on a visit home that haunted me for several years. It’s not even a good image but there was an undercurrent that kept pulling me back in. It was through this image that I began to notice other new prisons sprouting up in rural areas and I began to research what was happening. At first, it was simply on a visual level but as I learned more about the prison system in this country I became obsessed.

JTD: Your images have received some attention recently, including the Massachusetts Cultural Council grant in 2007 and several exhibitions. What are your plans for this work, and are you working on anything specific right now?

ST: I have been very fortunate, without a Guggenheim Foundation grant and the Massachusetts Cultural Council grants much of this would not have happened. Ultimately, I would like to see this as a book; my efforts with this project are shifting in that direction.

JTD: What specifically is it about photographing prisons at night that you are attracted to?

ST: There is a separation that occurs when night falls and a prison becomes an optical presence in the landscape. In the darkness they make a defiant stance against the landscape surrounding it. They radiate light back into the landscape like an artificial sun. During the day the architecture and the perimeters are clearly demarcated; but in the darkness the visual boundaries extend beyond the walls. They become the light source that illuminates the visible landscape.

JTD: Do you research prisons before you go, and do you choose them for specific reasons? Once you are there, how long does it take you to scope out your location and set up your shot?

ST: Lot’s of traveling, and lot’s of research prior to each trip. The unfortunate circumstance of this project is the realization that there is a huge prison industry that has exploded in size over the last 25 years. I had some fantasy that I would have an image from every prison in the country but I there are too many to photograph all of them. Once I find a prison to photograph there is a lot of surveying the location to find the right angle. Technology has made it easier, and Google Earth is very helpful in scouting out the prison and it’s surroundings. I’m rather methodical and I’m not always welcomed by the authorities, it takes me forever and I always feel bad if someone has accompanied me and has to sit through my decision making process.

JTD: Looking at one of your photographs purely as an image, it is full of photographically appealing tones and lights. However, when you consider what is inside the perimeter of the lights, society has rejected, and is therefore, unappealing. Is this dichotomy between photographic beauty and the social reality something you intentionally employ, and if so, what kind of meaning do you hope it creates in your work?

ST: Beauty can subvert and hold our attention even if the subject is quite abject. Goya’s Disasters of War comes to mind as well as Warhol’s electric chair prints. For some these images might help them to consider something that they might normally find easy to ignore by the light of day. I hope the work helps to create a dialogue about why these places exist in such large numbers in the US.

JTD: The prison system in America is rapidly growing, primarily for economic reasons. Do you delve into the specific politics of prisons in America, or do you like to present the issue and let the viewer interpret it, as they will?

ST: The images make visible my critique of the growing prison industry. I see these mega institutions as examples of general failures in our society. That being said it is important to provide a basis for why this system is failing us. When I present the work, I provide background information to prevent there being too much ambiguity as to where I stand.

JTD: You generally photograph prisons from a distance- what is it about the prison as part of a larger landscape that interests you?

ST: Photographing the landscape has always been an interest of mine; with these images the prison itself becomes the connection to the different locations. The landscape is what changes while the architecture of the prisons functions essentially the same way it has for over 100 years. Searching out these sites has taken me to places in this country I never imagined I would travel to.

JTD: In some of your photographs, the prison closely borders a neighborhood or suburban area? What importance does this have for you, and what statement are you trying to make by showing this juxtaposition?

ST: The notion of physical and conceptual boundaries (as well as time) is inherent to prison culture. In some ways I look at this collection of images as metaphorical atlas of the U.S. It is the borders and the laws of particular states that determine the judicial response if incarceration is the verdict of the courts. I’ve found many strange juxtapositions of someone’s backyard looking directly onto a prison or new housing developments being built across the street from a maximum-security prison. In these circumstances it’s very clear the community that hosts these institutions have formed a complex symbiotic relationship.

JTD: Have you ever shown your work to officials within the prison system? If so, what has their reaction been?

ST: Yes, sometimes when I need permission I meet with prison officials or wardens. Most have been very positive about the images. Once I showed a warden in Louisiana a photo of a prison in California and he said I could photograph his prison if I made it look as good as the image of the California prison.

JTD: I have personally heard some funny stories from you about your strange encounters while photographing at night- could you tell us about your most interesting experience?

ST: There have been all sorts of interesting moments- I’ve been hassled by guards and the police, photographed in blizzards and lightening storms. Once, I was in Chula Vista, California on the US/Mexico border taking a picture without permission in the no-man’s land surrounding the state prison. Suddenly all hell broke loose, men on ATV’s with night vision and bright spotlights came out of nowhere… it was very X-Files. I thought they were after me but they shot right past me and about 100 yards away they stopped a group of people using the prison grounds to cross over the border from Mexico. They never even bothered with me… maybe they assumed with the big camera and tripod I was someone official.

JTD: Do you see yourself continuing this work indefinitely, or do you feel you will reach a point when the project is finished?

ST: I’m in the latter stages of the project now. There are a few more prisons that I need to photograph and then spend more time on my other projects. The scary thing for me is how immense the prison system has become, these pictures really only scratch the surface.

JTD: Do you think of your work as political?

ST: Absolutely, I feel the burgeoning prison system in this country reflects back on the society that builds them. You know we lock up more people than any other country in the world. I think the lack of funding for education, health care and an unwillingness to invest in our own citizens has resulted in a reactionary policy of prison building to help politicians get re-elected. Our thirst for punishment and prisons has created a profit based private prison industry that you can buy stock in. If you look at the demographics of the U.S. prison population it is predominately male, undereducated and poor. There are estimates that over 25% of those incarcerated are mentally ill prior to entering the system.

JTD: Have you ever been interested in going inside a prison to photograph, or of making portraits of prison inmates?

ST: There is large archive of photographers who have worked inside prisons all over this country. For me I felt I didn’t have anything new to add. Initially I did go inside to see if I wanted to make work of inmates or the interior architecture of the prison but the location and the world surrounding the prison felt more interesting to me visually. I guess I’m attempting to connect the outside world with these institutions. Looking from a distance at a place that is so highly serveilled becomes an investigation of the psychological as well as the physical boundaries. To me it becomes a form of visual feedback or echo.

Holliday Unit, Huntsville, TX, 2001

Interview with Steve Tourlentes on WGBH

2010-10-27T08:37:00.001-04:00

Photographer Steve Tourlentes has an incredible body of work focusing on the prison industrial complex in America. His work is remarkable and currently on display at the ICA in Boston as part of the Foster Prize exhibition. Steve is interviewed about his work by WGBH. Take a listen here.

Wyoming State Death House, 2000 by Steve Tourlentes

Artist Talk at Simmons: Today!

2010-10-26T09:41:00.002-04:00

Self-portrait with mom, 2005

I am looking forward to giving an artist talk this afternoon with Robert Siegelman at the Simmons Graduate School of Social Work. Robert and I have had work on exhibit for the month of October in honor of National Coming Out Day. Eight photographs from The (Trans)Gender Series are on display along with Robert's work, which I admire very much. If you're in the area, come by!

Artist Talk with Jess T. Dugan and Robert Siegelman
October 26, 2010
4:30 p.m.

Simmons Graduate School of Social Work
1 Palace Road, 4th Floor
Boston, MA

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

2010-10-21T12:08:00.001-04:00

I am so excited, honored, and truly humbled to announce that my project on Kickstarter was successfully funded on October 15, 2010! Over 91 backers gave donations ranging from $5 to $800, adding up to a total of $5,468 in pledges.

It means so much to me to have the support of my community, and I'm so grateful for everyone who contributed. Now it's off to the farm to make more pictures! I will continue posting new work from Open View to my blog over the next year, so be sure to check back to see the new photographs.

A HUGE thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of the wonderful folks who donated. I couldn't have done it without you all!

Aimee Gelnaw

Alice Miele

Aline Smithson

Alison Brill

Alissa McKenzie

Anderson

Andrea Maginot

Andrea Devine

Andrea Kulish

Anonymous

Archy and Tess Baker Lasalle

Ariel Kates-Harris

Arlette Kayafas

Autumn Bennett

Barb Bancroft

Becca Nisbet

Ben Madden

Benjamin Turbow

Catherine Weisel

Chris Richards

Claire Beckett

Colleen Johnston

Dan Armendariz

Dan Vlahos

Dani Fazio

Daniel Baldini

David Duddy

Deen Tait

Diana Cullum-Dugan

Elizabeth Murphy

Ellen Rennard

Emmy Howe

Ezra Burke

Francesca Bewer

George Rajkowski

Gerard J Burke

Gina Kamentsky

Glenn Ruga

Hannah Hammond-Hagman

Heather Latham

Henry Horenstein

Ingrid Monson

Isa Leshko

Jean Cozzens

Jill Slosburg-Ackerman

Joanna Karlgaard

Joanne Lukitsh

Joe Faraoni

John Dugan

John M. Gerber

Judy Lippke

Julia Featheringill

Karoline Peralta

Kate Hutchinson

Kate Stevens

Kathleen P.

Katie Block

Kelli Connell

Kat Nania

Korrie Xavier

Kristin Oliver

Laurie Savage

Lizi Brown

Mal Malme

Margaret Birnbaum

Maria Kogan

Marilyn Schachter

Mark Rowe and Mike Moore

Martha S. Schneider

Mary Davies

Mary Malloy

Matthew Connors

Megan Bigelow

Mel Larsen

Melvyn Herrick

Micah Salkind

Michael Cardinali

Michael Grohall

Michelle Lamuniere

Mona McKindley

Moyra Davey

Nancy & Jon Roll

Nathaniel Fink

Robbie Samuels

Rosemary White

Sheryl Pace & Fish McGill

Sue-Yee Leung

Susan M. Lewinnek

Suzanne Revy

Suzi Smith

Trace Ramsey