We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jermaine Thomas, Ii. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jermaine below.
Alright, Jermaine thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
The project that has been the most meaningful thus far is the family documentary I made called “The Big House.” I first had the vision of creating a documentary back in 2021, and that vision basically guided the next three years of my life up until now. The idea was born when I felt very disoriented, personally and professionally. That year, I quit grad school and ended up getting a job in the short term to get to Chicago, but when I made it here, I had no idea where to go next. I spent weeks researching, journaling, and looking for inspiration and direction. One day, I took stock of the things that brought me joy and realized it all came back to tell the stories of my people: Black people.
Once I set my objective, I just needed a medium to land on. I’ve loved documentary films for a long time, and in that moment, I saw what a project I created could look like in the future. It was up to me to figure out how to get there, and I chose the path through academia. I found the Digital Communications and Media Arts program at DePaul University, which gave me access to storytelling classes, documentary classes, media arts, and much more. The whole interdisciplinary experience I was looking for.
My thesis for the program was to create ‘The Big House.’ Through the years, the film morphed, but overall, it was always about my great-grandmother, Massie Lee Hamilton, and her brother, my great-great-uncle Clarence Bozeman, who are the stewards of my family. Together, with a home in Cleveland that my grandmother owned for 50 years, they built my family on solid ground. That home served as a nucleus for my family in Cleveland. There, my family congregated weekly for Sunday dinners, convened before the processional for a funeral, and enjoyed each other over countless dishes and laughs.
The documentary considered Black placemaking, generational wealth, and homeownership through the lens of my family home. Tropes about the Black family were broken, re-written, and played out through social interactions. The project helped explore the concept of Black placemaking, seen in building generational wealth through the homestead. I split the film into three parts: Endurance, Belonging, and Resistance. Through new conversations, my grandmother’s 90th birthday celebration, and archive moments, I created a narrative of memory that afforded a path forward.
Completing this project was important for many reasons, including its long-term nature. I conceived the idea in 2021, and I finished it in 2024. That taught me to choose a path and stick to it. I don’t necessarily plan in 5-year terms or anything like that, but I hold onto my long-term goals. ‘The Big House’ also forced me to revisit my past, which is a past I often find myself running away from for whatever reason. Since my artistic expression is usually based on self-exploration, it was crucial for my journey to overcome my fear of self and use my story to build community with the viewer.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Finding a unique style has been the biggest challenge in my photography journey. I’ve experimented with various styles and switched back and forth between digital and film. Every day, I’m getting closer to finding my style by executing my ideas and reflecting on how they all come together. I also reflect on the photographers whose styles intrigue me, as well as the era and context in which they create. For years, I’ve been captivated by the photographers of the supermodel era, particularly Herb Ritts, Peter Lindbergh, and Richard Avedon, who have been a great source of inspiration.
As a portrait photographer, I draw inspiration from all three photographers, whether it’s Peter Lindbergh’s naturalism, Herb Ritts’s skilled composition, or Avedon’s perfect staging of beauty. As I continue to refine my style, I always take cues from their work and apply them to my subjects, who are mostly Black people. I aim to create photos that captivate viewers and encourage them to take a moment to appreciate the beauty, amidst the constant hustle and bustle of the world. This principle is also reflected in my landscape photography. I hope that through these beautiful images, viewers find a sense of calm and a moment of peace to relish the beauty of our everyday surroundings.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
Seeing my photos live beyond the screen is the most rewarding aspect of my work. And also why I turned my sights on creating a print store. My northern light in creating is doing everything possible to maintain my passion for the work and capturing images. Consistently seeing the images I created exist in the physical sense reignites that passion. It’s one thing to see a scanned image on a computer screen, but holding it in my hand is the most beautiful experience. It feels like the complete circle of life for a photograph.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
Non-creatives may struggle to understand that money is not the guiding light for me at this point in my creative journey. While it is nice to have some income to balance the cost of film, money being my guiding light has already shown how it can suck the joy and freedom from my creation. I have no intention of working weddings or taking bookings that force me to create when I want to. My practice is restful and restorative, and I intend to maintain that by putting myself first.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thomasjw.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wholly.jt/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jthomasii/
Image Credits
Photo of Jermaine Thomas – Taken by Elizabeth Tutu