Jaclyn Wright

Jaclyn Wright received a Bachelorʼs in Art from Southern Illinois University Carbondale in Cinema & Photography in 2009. She went on to get her Masterʼs of Fine Art in Photography at Indiana University in 2013. Wright has also studied abroad at the Hospitalfield House Art Centre in Arboath, Scotland and at Kyoto University of Art & Design in Kyoto, Japan. In 2013 she received a Masterʼs of Fine Art Grant from Indiana University. She has worked at the Center for Integrative Photographic Studies and taught several courses at Indiana University over the past three years. Her work has been shown both nationally and internationally and has been selected for several Internet galleries and blogs.

Artifacts

I recently spent time photographing throughout Japan. I was bewildered by their desire to protect and control the landscape. I often found trees wrapped in komomaki, a traditional straw wrapping meant to keep out pest. Or found them under the umbrella of a yukitsuri, meant to keep heavy snow from breaking their branches. This, seemingly, excessive desire to manipulate the landscape fascinated me. I began to think about the ways in which we all try to preserve and control objects, spaces and experiences of our own. I began to consider why and how each individual collects and manipulates items of personal significance. I began making photographs as a way to decontextualize and deconstruct the concept.

Much like an archeologist collecting artifacts, I have been collecting and cataloging my own experiences in an attempt to preserve them. For instance, Preserved eyelash, 350ZB00, was found in a box of items I was given upon my grandmotherʼs passing. In a small purse, I discovered the bag that held a single eyelash. I imagine it belonged to her.

For more information, please visit her website.