Pride Month: Jestin Korsgaard
The Interim © Jestin Korsgaard
Written by Claire Ping
Ranging from portraits to cityscapes, Jestin Korsgaard’s “Diary” series captures moments of intimacy and self-expression while adhering to the aesthetic of lo-fi snapshot film. Ongoing since 2012, the appropriately named project constructs the visual story of Korsgaard’s particular experience as a non-binary person. The photographer draws inspiration for “Diary” from the family photo album, the likes of which Korsgaard’s grandmothers kept, and attempts to repurpose it as an art object framed within the queer tradition of the Chosen Family.
Release © Jestin Korsgaard
Korsgaard’s process favors the use of 35mm point-and-shoot cameras to create both staged and spontaneous photographs. Adopting a fun and liberating style found often in documentations of queer nightlife, many of Korsgaard’s pictures are vibrant in color and radiating with passionate desires. Both Release and Tip Spot capture their subjects in motion, resulting in hazy images that emphasize the effects of light and accentuate an impulsive energy. In Release, the central figure, whose form is barely recognizable, emerges as a blur of white and purple against dark shadows and red lighting in the background. An equally daring and festive spirit is present in Lick, in which the model is decorated in pink from dress to costume and sticks out the tongue in a victorious gesture.
Lick © Jestin Korsgaard
Reflective of the title, a number of images in the series exhibit a narrative quality. Appearing like scenes taken straight out of a movie, they leave viewers intrigued to wonder about the photographed individuals and their unique stories. In Interim, the protagonist could be the blond figure standing backwards in the doorway, the performer whose eyes are cast down at the floor, or the conversing couple reflected faintly in the window. In Oasis, where no human characters are present, provides even more space for imagining what may happen inside the aged restaurant with its half-lit neon sign.
A muscular torso occupies the right half of Gogo Boys at The Cafe, posing as if caught in the midst of a dancing move. Following the tilt of this body, the viewer’s gaze is directed towards the lower left of the image where another performer stands sideways with eyes fixated on his companion. The entire image is bathed in a purplish-blue hue, generating a serene and sensual atmosphere – somewhat reminiscent of Barry Jenkins’ film Moonlight – only to be momentarily interrupted by a hint of playfulness in the form of the frontal figure’s fluorescent green underwear.
Gogo Boys at The Cafe © Jestin Korsgaard
Though varied in subject matter and visual style, photographs from the “Diary” series are united by their raw and atmospheric appeal. Together, they offer a subtle glimpse into the personal journey of capturing life through a queer lens.
View Jestin’s website here
