Photography and creative work have anchored Jean’s life since childhood. She took her first photographs with her parents’ Instamatic camera when she was eight years old. A year or two later, she learned how to develop and print black-and-white film in a student enrichment program offered at her elementary school. She has called herself a photographer ever since.

Jean has always loved the feeling of photographic, textile, and art materials in her hands. This affinity comes through in the textural and tactile quality of her imagery.

While studying for her BFA at Rochester Institute of Technology in New York, beginning to work with color film, and then also printing in color, opened up a whole new way of seeing for her. Along with these traditional darkroom skills, she got her first taste of working digitally.

When Jean looks back at her earliest childhood snapshots, she can clearly see that her fascination with pattern, texture, and detail has been evident from the beginning of her practice of photography. Her current photographic work continues to explore these deeply-rooted interests in both black-and-white and color.

Exhibitions

March 2020
Joint show of work from Solace in the Details and photographs by Christopher Broughton, exhibited at the State Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA

May 2019
Solace in the Details: Solo show of work from three recent series, Mughal Stonework, I’m Sorry You Couldn’t Stay, and Tidal Landscapes, exhibited at the Faulkner East Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA

Ongoing
Work from Japan series exhibited at SpaCia, Santa Barbara, CA

June-October 2009
Work from Flowers portfolio exhibited at Axis Skin & Body Studio, Santa Barbara, CA

October-November 2003
Work from Italy exhibited at Zocalo Coffee House, San Leandro, CA

Education

Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester, NY
College of Imaging Arts & Sciences, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Photography

Worcester Center for Crafts
Worcester, MA
Various photography classes

Publications

Cover photo, A Hole Without Sides by Murdo Morrison, published autumn 2011.

Cover photo, The Lily Book by Valerie Coulton, published spring 2004.

Portraits of bass player Benny Rietveld published in Jazziz, Musica Pro and Bass Inside magazines, Autumn 2002-Spring 2003.

Cover and liner photos for the album Beauville, released in 2002 by San Francisco band August.