In February of 2021, PCPP’s Leonian Intern, Ayesha Kazim, conducted a virtual interview with Jason Jackson to discuss the inspiration behind his work. The interview explores Jackson’s growing desire to document the ever-evolving neighborhood of Harlem, his travels to Myanmar, and his latest series, “The Erotiese Project,” which challenges viewers’ perceived notions of masculinity through intimate studio portraits. Read the full interview and listen to a clip from the conversation below.

1. Tell me about your background and how you first came into contact with photography.

My initial exposure to photography was with my mother constantly taking pictures of my brother and I. All I wanted to do was go outside and play or watch cartoons, but instead I had to stand there quiet and smile and pose with my relatives. As I moved into my later teens and early twenties my appreciation for capturing candid moments of my life and the surrounding environment began to develop. My inauguration into the more structured and professional use of a camera stemmed from my love of traveling internationally and within the United States. As I settled into New York City (specifically Harlem) in my late 20's, it was like an awakening. NYC is a diverse and complex palette for any photographer.

2. You mentioned you have been living in Harlem for quite some time, what made you first want to start documenting the neighborhood?

I arrived in Harlem in the 1990's and it was changing. Gentrification was in full swing. Initially, I shied away from shooting in my own neighborhood. It felt too personal. However, the more I walked around this historic neighborhood, the more important it became to me to document this iconic area of NYC that has contributed so much to the fabric of Black America.

3. How have the changes in the neighborhood shifted the way that you interact with your subjects or the people and areas you choose to photograph within Harlem? Do you think this change has affected your style or process?

This Woman’s Work (2018) © Jason Jackson

I don't feel like it's affected my style. However, I do feel like the changes in Harlem have affected the overall image of the neighborhood. There used to be this more accessible grittiness and raw energy. The African-American culture was everywhere. Now, you have pockets of "other" mixed into the fabric of Harlem. The traditional African-American presence, culture, "soul" is still here in the neighborhood. Despite having a larger corporate backdrop interspersed within the traditions and history of the neighborhood that soul is still what feeds the neighborhood and its residents. I prefer to document and photograph the soul.

4. In light of the eruption of the Black Lives Matter protests that occurred over the summer, how has this movement affected your process of photographing? Can you talk a bit about that?

Black Lives Matter Harlem Rally (2020) © Jason Jackson

Well, I felt that I had hit this creative plateau, and I was doing a lot more studio and conventional portraiture work. So, when the BLM protests started to erupt as a result of the social injustices that were being put forth for all the world to see, it really motivated me. Being out on the streets with people again and participating, as well as documenting, through my photography was my priority.

I am definitely someone who photographs with a specific narrative in my mind. That may change in the course of an event but the initial narrative is almost always there before I start shooting. During one of the BLM marches there was a young man who was organizing that particular march. He was intentional with regards to his organization and how he constructed and guided the protest. Watching him guide and uplift the marchers while also navigating the presence of the antagonistic law enforcement was like watching a conductor of an orchestra. That ebb and flow is what I look for and love when shooting on the streets. It could be a march for social justice, or a rush hour subway commute. The ebb and flow and interaction between people and within their environment is a beautiful thing to behold and capture.

5. I recently watched the interview you did with Framebridge and in it, you talked about the responsibility you feel to document your subjects from a black male perspective. Can you tell me more about that and why this is important to you?

Market Days in Cusco (2019) © Jason Jackson

The world is so interconnected. Access to travel (pre-Covid) is so much more accessible. Being able to speak from my own personal experiences with other black men and women in my community about the reality of what is going on in other parts of the world is important. Having that connection without the potentially biased reports given by established media outlets or organizations is an important part of making informed decisions about who you want to support and how you want to be represented. Being able to speak from experience as a black man is important to me.

It's important to remember that there is no one monolithic black photography experience. I do truly believe that a majority percentage of black photographers have a different focus or mindset from their non-black peers when they photograph something. I have colleagues who are not black, who have admitted that, "I would never think to look at that" or "'I would never think to acknowledge, observe or interpret that." I think part of it is being black, part of it is life experience, and understanding that how I see things—how black men and black women see things—is important and should be represented. Also, as a gay man, that's a whole other level of interpretation. A lot of the studio work that I do deals with photographing the male form. There is some nudity involved, but that's not really the main part of it. It's more about people's perceived ideas of what masculinity is. I really try to photograph as many black men as possible in that venue, and men of color period.

6. Looking at your studio work and The Erotiese Project, I could feel that raw emotion and clearly see the comfortability of your subjects. What is your setup or process going into those situations of meeting someone for the first time? How do you build that relationship with your subject?

Southern Gentleman (2018) © Jason Jackson

It's interesting you ask that question because I think the time spent before the actual shoot is the most important part and lays the groundwork for a great shoot. I always require that the subject meet with me first, either through a video chat or face to face because I want them to understand what my workflow is and what my process is. It also allows for the establishment of a certain level of understanding, professional respect, and trust.

I have photographed a wide variety of men, from bankers and lawyers and teachers, to adult film stars. Some are obviously more comfortable than others, but I try to get everyone to understand that I want this to be an artistic process. I want them to look at the work 10 or 15 years later and be able to still relate to it and feel that it is a representation of who they are, who they were, or who they wish they could be.

7. Do you feel that there is any overlap or similarities when it comes to your street photography and studio work and the intent behind it? What themes do you notice come up time and time again?

Taungthaman Lake: Myanmar Series (2018) © Jason Jackson

Whether it's my street photography or studio work, I want there to be a sense of humanity and human connection. I want both depth and simplicity. I want things to be familiar, but I also want the visual narratives to get people to think outside of their personal experiences. It's a lot to ask, but that's what I want.

8. How has the pandemic impacted your practice? Have you been shooting as much? How have you been able to keep those relationships growing?

With regards to my street photography, it was a bit disconcerting not being able to photograph a subject's entire face. However, it is a representation of the times we live in and I quickly found that there was more of a connection in the images because I was more keyed into the person's eyes. The singular focus on a person’s eyes is often more revealing than photographing the entirety of their face. Masking results in a new and more creative way of telling a relevant story. I also slowed down my intimate male imagery out of an abundance of caution due to increasing Covid infections for quite a while.

9. With this slow period, have you been ruminating about new projects you want to work on or projects you would like to continue after everything settles?

Quite a few of the projects I had planned for 2020 and 2021 required international travel. As a result of the pandemic, these projects have been put on hold. I don’t see it as a barrier but another opportunity to focus on unfinished work and fine tune and catch up on things I had previously shelved because of a lack of time. So until borders and barriers are lifted, it has allowed me time to catch up and spend more time at home while shooting within my immediate sphere.

10. You have spent some time photographing Myanmar and mentioned that you have been looking through that work recently. I was wondering, with the current political situation, have you found yourself looking at the photographs you’ve created there differently or has that changed your viewpoint at all?

I appreciate my time spent there even more given the current political climate. It’s so much more meaningful to me now. I was there for about 2 weeks photographing the everyday life of the people more than the political and military presence. There was one instance where I was photographing a woman and her child and there was a law enforcement individual in the background. One of things I was very conscious of was to avoid overtly taking pictures of law enforcement because that could be grounds for them arresting or detaining you. In this instance, I wasn’t paying attention and the [law enforcement individual] was on the border of my composed frame. As I was taking pictures of the woman and child, he was all of a sudden in my frame and in my face. I just quickly acted like I was clueless as he said “no pictures,” so I said, “oh, but the baby’s so beautiful.” He realized, ‘oh, he's not even looking at me.’ I think I'm a pretty good judge of character and people and how to manage interactions and potential conflicts, so it diffused pretty quickly–it wasn't that big of a deal. With all that said, my time there and my work there is so much more meaningful to me now as a result of the recent political turmoil.

11. Looking at your photography practice as a whole, what do you hope audiences will take away from your work? Where do you see it sitting within history and within the grander timeline of current events?

I hope people know and feel that it's a true reflection of not just me, and how I see things, but also a representation of the different times in America and abroad. I want it to be seen as a clear and transparent representation from a black male perspective. I want people to know that it comes from a heartfelt place and the desire to document and share the history and context of the times we all live in.

Jason Jackson is a visual artist specializing in photography. Originally hailing from Riverhead, New York, he has resided in Harlem for over 20 years. He has exhibited work at the Museum of the City of New York, Artrooms London, and the Brooklyn Academy of Music, among many others. Jackson is currently represented by LeonidesArtsNY and has work in private collections in the United States and Germany.