PRESS

From Gem Fletcher’s article for the British Journal of Photography:

In the artist’s latest photobook, Look at me like you love me, being seen is replaced with the urgency of living

I’ve always thought about Jess T. Dugan’s practice as a form of wayfinding. They are invested in the urgent work of queer visibility, speaking through themes of identity, sexuality and desire with profound intimacy. Dugan’s images are cathartic for both viewer and artist. Image after image, they assert identity. Dugan is direct in their mission to confront the viewer, reclaim space and revel in the act of being seen. In this deeply personal act, the American artist animates the possibility of a creative life as a space to lens and write yourself in.

In their latest book, ​​Look at me like you love me, published by Mack, Dugan transcends to a new plain. Being seen is replaced with the urgency of living. We meet their subjects fully embodied, grounded in a profound understanding of self, captivated by the ways our identities are validated through relationships. “The book came out of a very specific moment,” Dugan shares. “The pandemic had a huge influence on my work, practically on my photographs, but more so psychologically. I was reflecting on my own identity, how I’m ageing, thinking about being a parent and how it has affected how I think about my own personhood.”

View the full article

Browse the series “Every Breath We Drew” by Jess T. Dugan at CLAMP
Browse all of Jess T. Dugan’s work at CLAMP