Today we’d like to introduce you to Jesse Clark.
Hi Jesse, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
It’s hard to pinpoint what exact age I really became interested in art, but I know it’s something my parents provided me the resources to explore at a very young age. As I grew older, the more I studied, practiced, and fell in love with it. In high school, I was student in the Visual Arts department at Harrison School for the Arts in Lakeland. I’d say it was roughly my Sophomore and Junior year there where I became really interested in photography. At that point in time, it was a very new practice to me, but it quickly became a tool that allowed me to create new narratives and really capture the world in a unique way. I decided to further pursue photography at Ringling College of Art + Design in Sarasota where I currently study as a Photography and Imaging Major. Midway through my Sophomore year at Ringling, one of my favorite professors encouraged me to start using photography as tool for sharing my story and message. From that point on I have started using my work to talk about Black male identity and experience.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I can’t say the road has been too incredibly difficult but there certainly were some obstacles along the way. For a while, I struggled with feeling comfortable and safe within my own skin. Especially in 2020, watching how different media portrayed Black males, typically as aggressive and threatening or pushing the idea that we are criminals. When you’re surrounded by all those narratives, it starts to consume you. I certainly can’t speak on everyone else’s experience, but I felt watched all the time, felt people’s fear of me, but I also started to fear for my own safety a little more. I know for me; I didn’t want to defined by those preconceived notions.
I realized the road you take sometimes is as difficult as you let it be and you can’t let every obstacle hold you back. I certainly can’t speak on everyone’s experiences but I figured because of my own personal struggle, I could help reshape the negative perspectives on Black males into a more positive truth through my art. So that has been my mission this past year. I want to show that Black males too are soft, caring, loving, and human. And with that, I can make the road a little easier for both those journeying with me and after me.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Despite having knowledge in graphic design, illustration and painting, I mainly focus on photography. I specialize in fine-art photography and portraiture. I feel that my knowledge in the other areas of art along with my background in dance very much influence the style of my photography. I think what a lot people notice first with my work is the vibrant colors and floral imagery. A photo series that most people know me for would be “Through Dark Eyes” which was my first photo series exploring Black identity. One of the photography series I am most proud of is my photo series titled “Carriers”. Which draws inspiration from the Haitian tradition of head-carrying which is also present in other cultures. It flips perspective as the photos in this series depicts Black men in the Head-carrying role traditionally occupied by women.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
There’s certainly quite a few people I could credit for supporting my journey. The list could honestly be endless but I will try and narrow it down. Of course, I would credit my parents on their support of this journey but I would like to focus this list on creatives who have helped me at Ringling College of Art and Design.
I first would credit my professor at the time, Wes Kline for providing the wisdom and encouragement to share my message in my work and use it to advocate for others. I believe he’s one of the biggest reasons my photography is what it is today and how far I’ve come with it.
I also credit my fellow classmate and photographer Mikenna Bowers (Photography and Imaging major) for her support since the beginning of my college career. She is a powerful young photographer who uses her work to advocate for others and working with her has inspired me to do the same. Currently, all the headshot photos people see of me were actually photographed by her including this one, so I am certainly thankful for her time spent and creativity in providing those.
Ultimately, I couldn’t have done my projects without the help and support of my friend’s CJ Callins (Film major), Jordan George (Business of Art and Design major) Corey Davis (Motion Design major), and Jahkori Dopwell Hall (Illustration major). They are the ones you see modeling in most of my projects. The time they have given to work with me has made my images possible and they certainly have helped me the most on my mission. They inspire me to push further and I know they each individually are creatively changing the world in their own artistic fields. I feel the work I do is also to help others to see their potential and also view many other young Black men through a better lens.
More recently I have been able to work closely with photographer Curtis Anderson and it’s been a pleasure being able to both learn from him as well as share our ideas. He has provided me many opportunities to grow and advance my work. In fact, he’s the one that got me connected with Voyage Tampa. I look forward to continuing to work with him and seeing how his own photography can move the world.
Contact Info:
- Email: jesse@jesseclarkart.com
- Website: www.jesseclarkart.com
- Instagram: @jesseclarkart
