Can you tell us a bit about how you discovered photography and what your path has been?
My first photography class was a film and digital class in high school, and that’s where I fell in love with the medium. I actually majored in Interior Design during undergrad, but took as many photography classes as I could during my time there. After working in that industry for less than two years, I knew I needed to be doing art, so I pursued my MFA and it was the best decision I ever made.

What are the inspirations of your project FRAGMENTS OF THE SELF?
I would say the whole project stems from a passion for human connection. The project became this process of attempting to reconcile emotional connection with digital connection, and I don’t know that there will ever be a resolution to that, but expressing it visually has at least helped me come to terms with it. I looked to artists like Annegret Soltau, Mauricio Alejo, and Rebecca Horn, alongside theorists like Donna Haraway and Hannah Arendt for a lot of my inspiration.

Current, Still" and "Propagation © Jessica Swank

You make sculptures and you include them in your photography work. How does your process of making sculptures influence your photography?
Constructed photography is the mode of working I lean into, so working in sculpture felt like a natural transition. In this series, the sculptures became a very central part of the work, and allowed me to work with new materials and processes that formed the content of the images. Honestly, I don’t see much of a line between photography and sculpture anyways.

Are there any upcoming projects you are working on?
My next goal is to broaden my knowledge of materials I think. I used silicone, hair, dryer lint, and mold for a good bit of this work, and I would love to try some new methods of employing each of these, and work with new materials as well. I’d also like to build upon my (very limited) knowledge of stitching and repair. Mending processes feel increasingly important in my work and I’d love to expand upon that.

Describe your creative process in one word.
Evolving

If you could teach a one-hour class on anything, what would it be?
The importance of animal companions, especially cats

What was the last book you read or film you saw that inspired you?
You Are Not a Gadget by Jaron Lanier is a recent read that was very informative for my work.

What is the most played song in your music library?
That’s constantly changing, but I always go back to Iron and Wine

How do you take your coffee?

Recently, with oat milk