Identity and social connection are driving forces in Jess T. Dugan’s work. For the past seven years, she’s been shooting Every Breath We Drew, a series that explores issues of gender and sexuality in the 21st century LGBTQ community. Working within the framework of queer experience, Dugan’s portraits examine the intersection between private, individual self-concept and the search for intimate connection with others. She photographs people in their homes and personal spaces using medium and large format cameras to create a deep, sustained engagement, resulting in an intimate portrait of contemporary America. Dugan’s latest book, To Survive on this Shore, will be published by Kehrer Verlag in September. She is the co-founder of the Strange Fire Collective, a creative collaborative that promotes work by women, people of color, and LGBTQ artists.
