Jesse Jackson IV is an aesthete. *(1)

In his studio practice, Jesse writes, designs, and makes photographs.

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These works are primarily concerned with the embodiment of self** and the nature of human consciousness in an age defined by its pursuit of a digital one.

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Given this line of inquiry, Jesse eschews any and all use of generative intelligence***(2) in his work - focusing instead on the profound impact of the human hand in real space.

Jesse’s debut monograph, words & photographs, outlines in broad terms the philosophical framework from which his curatorial efforts, publications, and essays spring.

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* The problem of self-definition is central to my work, which is largely driven by the search for an answer to the Overwhelming Question: Who are you? I do not have a definite answer, but I have come to believe one thing with certainty: What you do is not who you are.

1 As a logophiliac, I am obliged to note that the definition of aesthete requires “a special appreciation of art and beauty.” I cannot say for certain my appreciation of beauty is special, per se, but as special is a subjective adjective, I have chosen to define my appreciation as such.

** A symptom of the mix of Postmodernist ambivalence, chintzy affirmations, and pseudo-psychological faux intellectual posturing age within which we find ourselves is the gradual erasure of the meaning of words. In this case, I refer to the construction of Self as most notably articulated by Freud, although there are many others worthy of your attention.

*** Were it at all practical, I would remove myself from the Internet entirely to focus all of my efforts on relating to others in real life. If there were any measure of my success, it would be inversely related to my online visibility. As it stands, digital anonymity is a luxury afforded to only a fair few.

2 I am generally interested in removing as many digital interventions in my processes as possible. I instead err towards physical, chemical, and mechanical manipulations. In light of this, my still photographs are made on film, glass, or metal, with preference given to direct positive methods, followed by black and white negative, and finally color negative. I do not use generative models in my writing, nor do I in any of my computer based design tools. Any use of digital tools is for marketing purposes only.