Touched, Metallic Chromogenic Archival Print, 2021 © Jana Cruder — *Touched,* Metallic Chromogenic Archival Print, 2021 © Jana Cruder

“HerStory” transports us back to the 1970s. What inspired you to choose this era for the series? What significance does this time period hold for you?

All of my artwork, whether conceptual, photographic narrative or installation experiences, asks us to look back and reflect on where we are and what choices we are making. There is a deep sense of irony in this series. I was not alive for the upheaval of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, but from learning about the cultural shifts and sub-cultures of the time, I believe that the ‘70s were a monumental time of rise against the systems in place at a time of upheaval — not unlike today, with so many pushing for change against cultural and systemic norms, roles and expectations. The era started a civil and feminist movement, which is still in effect today.

I wanted to reflect on our history and acknowledge we have come so far, but I wanted to look deeper as to why we are still fighting for these things that seemingly oppress people of color and women. I wanted to reframe history to HER-story, open to the idea of defiance and shining light on claiming a HerStory. Personally, when I started research for this series, I called my stepmother. She was instrumental in my life as a radical non-conformist, and as a feminist she was that woman at the Kent State protests marching with the student body for equal rights. I asked her, have we made any progress? Here we are as women and people of color still fighting for the same things they were marching for and demanding in the ‘70s.

When I was shooting this body of work October 2020, I found myself in the middle of the Black Lives Matter protests, bombarded with the conflicting media agendas as well as in deep personal concern and conflict over the desire to become “successful” and have my own money, as well as the conflict between being active for justice and what’s right in the world, and the pull of domestication and motherhood. All of these concepts solidified into this body of work.

How do you feel these images relate to where we are as a society today, especially in regards to women and what is expected of them?

I feel so many can relate to the concepts and realities portrayed in this series. I think they look back, and presented with different options and realities, ask unabashed “what-ifs” for women. Looking back is essential to alchemize, understand and propel growth. The historic is identifiable, nostalgic and safe, however, so incredibly identifiable in today's society. I feel this series gives women voice and common ground in showing what many are feeling but maybe never express.

The set design and styling of the models plays a crucial role in telling the story of this series. What is your process for creating these scenes? Do the locations inspire the outfits or vice versa? How do you help the models get into character?

I set the scene, prepare the actor and document their exploration of the emotion or role. The set design, styling and titling of the images play a crucial role in relating the complex conceptual nuances and undertones of the realities and concepts I’m drawing into question by the viewer.

My process is one of first journaling and narrowing down the concepts and scenarios I want to create and then explore. I then list out the scenarios I want to create. For example, “Protest Scene,” as seen in “Inner Compass” and “Respect,” where they show up to protest at a city hall and no one is there. I wanted to explore the feeling I felt that we are protesting the same things generations of women did before us and the powers that be aren’t listening.

I then set out to find locations to match the scenarios I envision and wish to stage and explore. Once I matched scenarios to locations, I then worked with my wardrobe stylist to discuss how style and color play into the scene. I had a color palette for this series in mind. Color in my conceptual photographic narratives is always a strong, underlying, intentional element. Since I knew I wanted the series set in 1973-1979, we pulled clothing that was representative of that era, working both from vintage archives and mixing in new designers. I then continued exploring the scenes in my mind to fill in the set design, finding or making props like the sheets of acid for “The Truth.” In researching, I found that design was one of the most popular LSD tabs of the era — so I printed sheets of LSD. I also researched cocaine in the era; it was mainstream, advertised to women as an upper and easily available. I was inspired to make the cocaine prop kilos with the pink scorpion art on it, the scorpion representing a female subculture of dealers from the ‘70s. To get the models into the experience and into character, I explain the history, give them questions I want to explore, sharing the “what-if” curiosity I’m interested in exploring. I then get them into the scene and start asking questions and directing the playing through the characters’ ideas and emotions. Moving within the scenarios, we explore them as I capture the images.

Bottle & No Rocks, Metallic Chromogenic Archival Print, 2021 © Jana Cruder — *Bottle & No Rocks,* Metallic Chromogenic Archival Print, 2021 © Jana Cruder

Describe your creative process in one word.

Alchemizing.

If you could teach a one-hour class on anything, what would it be?

How is it we think what we think? Are our perceived limitations really ours, or the result of generations of programming and cultural influences? And, at the bottom of it all, what are we all really wanting to feel, and what are we really all afraid of? It’s in that space we find out true unity.

Analog Aware, Metallic Chromogenic Archival Print, 2021 © Jana Cruder — *Analog Aware, Metallic Chromogenic Archival Print, 2021* © Jana Cruder

What was the last book you read or film you saw that inspired you?

I wish Franca Sozzani, the legendary editor of Vogue Italia, was still alive. I believe we would get along and she would get my work. When I saw the documentary “Chaos and Creation,” I was inspired to allow my convictions to show more and more in my works. That documentary inspired me to be louder and really push this series to show the irony of our culture and the current program that we’re running collectively, and ask unabashedly yet gently, “What else is possible here?”

The last book I read was “Spiritual Midwifery” by Ina May Gaskin — the legendary midwife who started The Farm in the late ‘60s to empower and educate women and birth workers and hand them back the right to birth on their terms outside the established medical system.