Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Identity - Gender - Jess T. Dugan

By David Kieckhefer
Jess T. Dugan is an artist whose work explores issues of gender, sexuality, identity, and community. In her series, Every breath we drew, Dugan’s photographs explore what it means to be masculine. When asked about her own identity, Dugan says, “I’m part of trans community; I’m not a lesbian and I’m not a gay man but I hang out in those spaces. I think I’m hyper aware of how my identity changes in different contexts.” Dugan’s work asks for her viewers to question the gender binary, as she believes these gender roles are failing the LGBTQ community. Dugan photographs people in their homes, usually in their bedrooms, using medium and large format cameras to create a very detailed and intimate portrait. Dugan holds an MFA in Photography from Columbia College Chicago, a Master of Liberal Arts in Museum Studies from Harvard University, and a BFA in Photography from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design.



Dugan’s website is extremely clean with no added color or flare to distract from her images. It is very user friendly and easy to navigate. I found myself very drawn to her work because of my own interest and personal experiences as a gay man in the LBGTQ community. Much of my own work is centered around gender identity and sexuality. I have been shooting portraits and would like to have more control over my lighting, and am currently learning new techniques in my Studio Lighting course.


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