We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jessica Swank a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Jessica , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

I don’t think I could be happy doing anything besides being an artist. I’ve known that it was what I wanted to do for as long as I can remember, which sounds cliche. It took me a while to get there, but now I’m happier than I ever have been. I actually do have a regular job teaching art, which I genuinely enjoy just as much. Since it took me so long to find my way into this career, I love being able to help guide students to do the same thing.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m an interdisciplinary artist currently based in Greenville, SC. My primary mediums are photography and sculpture, but I really work with any material that supports my ideas. My work addresses the relationship between humans and digital technology from a personal perspective. The use of both organic and synthetic materials function as a metaphor for the blurring of boundaries between human, machine, and the natural environment. Through photography and sculpture, I form a dialogue between these entities, pointing out the connections between them in an effort to reconcile a sense of balance between digital and emotional connection. I use many elements that are remnants of myself or those close to me, creating sculptural forms and assemblages of natural materials, flesh-like membranes, and manufactured objects. By utilizing various methods of self-extension, fragmentation, and recontextualization, the meditative process of composing these forms becomes a method of self-reflection and an act of reclamation over the body and self as a human.

In addition to making work, I also help run an artist collective called Zero Space Collective. The collective began when my graduate school cohort and I were forced to leave our studios and resources during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. The name “Zero Space (0_)” refers to the lack of physical space that our collective encountered as a result of the pandemic. However, it also refers to the lack of space that many underrepresented artists experience in the art world. Zero Space Collective actively works to combat this by creating a culture of equity and accountability.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

When I began making my body of work “Fragments of the Self,” I read Donna Haraway’s “Cyborg Manifesto” which really drove the body of work from the beginning. I was also ready several books by Jaron Lanier, including “Who Owns the Future?” and “You Are Not a Gadget.” These readings all considered the degree to which we have allowed ourselves to intertwine with technology, and this led me to consider how to start visualizing my works. “Powers of Horror” by Julia Kristeva and “The Human Condition” by Hannah Arendt were two works that contributed to my use of materials and process within my work as well.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on NFTs. (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)

I struggle with the idea behind NFT’s – primarily because of how relevant they are to the work I do as an artist. You would think that as a photographer, I could greatly benefit from them if I chose to do so. I can see the benefits, as I do with any development in digital technology, and I recognize how they open many more opportunities for both artists and collectors to operate outside of a traditional gallery or institutional setting. However, as with any new digital development, I can’t help but feel there will be many unanticipated consequences and challenges for the artists involved as a result. My approach to them is the same with any new technological development: don’t let the temptation of convenience and capitalization keep you from what is truly best for your own artistic career.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jessicaswank.art
• Instagram: @jessicawswank