Interview with Jade Jones, GradFoto Award 2023 Highly Commended Finalist
Ballarat Foto asked GradFoto Award 2023 highly commended finalist Jade Jones to tell us more about her project Braided Communities.
Ballarat Foto: Braided Communities is a collaborative project that intimately documents the care, ritual and tradition that is central to hair care for Black communities. You describe using a methodology of self-directed storytelling with the participants in your photographs, acknowledging them as co-creators. Could you tell us more about this process?
Jade Jones: I find my community has often had our narratives written for us not by us. We are expressive and full of creatives, and often times we have limited opportunities to showcase ourselves and our individuality. Historically, photography has been very exploitative—especially for my community—and being able to decolonise the way that I use the camera has been an integral part of my practice. Recognising my subjects as creators in this process has enabled me to produce a collaborative series with a strong sense of authenticity and connection. Conversation and time is integral to my practice. I start all my sessions speaking with the families I am working with to help understand them better so we can truly capture them authentically behind the lens.
Ballarat Foto: The photographs of the Braided Communities exhibition highlight your rigorous, multi-modal approach to presenting your work. What interests you about working with different mediums? What or who informed your approach to the installation and do you foresee presenting your work in this way again?
Jade Jones: Photography has always been the primary medium I’ve used to explore ideas. I began expanding this with a social documentary class where we explored the use of video and sound to further develop our photographic documentary practice. There is so much warmth in conversation and sounds in these environments where our hair is cared for and I wanted to translate this feeling into an exhibition setting. Adding elements of sound enabled me to create a more intimate experience with the images, really immersing the viewer into each environment. The large braided background was developed in conversation with my lecturer Kelly Hussey-Smith to really emphasise the detail of each braid as a backdrop against the screens. As an emerging black artist I felt it was important for me to take up space by creating a work that is of a large scale and I would love to continue doing this again in the future.
Ballarat Foto: You also work as an editorial and fashion photographer. How does your creative practice inform your commercial work?
Jade Jones: I really enjoy working in both spaces. I find the way that I work in my creative practice enables me to connect more in my commercial practice. I love this especially when working on important projects with communities to be able to capture them authentically. I also love the individuality that comes with fashion and how it is inclusive of everyone. Being able to capture this is a privilege.
Ballarat Foto: Do you have any advice for this year’s graduating students?
Jade Jones: I think sometimes as photographers we can get caught up in perfectionism and being overly critical of ourselves and our practice. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes—just keep creating and showing up. Always try to bring new work to your classes. Your teachers and your peers will be some of your best support in guiding you and developing your practice. I also really recommend getting to exhibitions and openings regularly, being able to stand in a room and get a sense of scale and impact really helps to decide how to exhibit your work in a space.