‘PARALLELS’ Exhibition at NP33 during SPEGLA photo festival
“In her personal projects Jenny Jacobsson often elevate images we only see when we close our eyes and through that visualizes the limitless possibilities we are provided with.” – SPEGLA
During the SPEGLA photo festival you could see my work through my ‘PARALLELS’ Exhibition in Norrköping, October-November 2017.
SPEGLA was filled with exhibitions, seminars, and workshops and through this special event the story behind and about the photograph were in focus. Images that tells a story, images that makes you feel, that make the world stop, and photos we just pass by. SPEGLA is highlighting it all and questions what we are depicting when we paint with the camera? And why?
I had the honor to be invited both for an exhibition and to do a half day workshop, and hopefully we’ll see each other there again next year?
PARALLELS October 20 – November, 2017 NP33, Norra Promenaden 33 Norrköping, Sweden Presented by Sandeng Art
Project published in book ‘INTERNATIONAL FLORAL ART 2016/2017’
When starting our collaborative journey together last year,
florist Sissel Willbro and I didn’t know where our creativity would take us. We knew we aimed at getting published in book International Floral Art 2016/2017, and that we wanted to deal with a subject very close to heart.
The project grew into highlighting the daily balancing act and struggle of young women between their own emotional integrity and the constant threat of falling for a skewed medial and distorted everyday pressure. The perishable organic plant arrangements are used to symbolize the fragile balance, and they merge with stories in the surreal worlds of my photographs to illustrate the mental landscape.
And now I’m happy to say, we are published in the book we aimed for (link to book):
“With 304 pages of the most striking floral arrangements, the International Floral Art 2016/2017 is another exceptional tribute to the wonders of floral art. An absolute favourite of many, the International Floral Art series has become an essential resource, reflecting the diverse and ever-evolving floral art scene. Over 200 international artists, both up-and-coming as well-established designers, sent in their best designs. It accounts for the extraordinary diversity and the refreshing mix of arrangements in this volume.
Packed with artful and inventive new designs and showcasing many contemporary styles and techniques, this is a must-have for anyone interested in floral art, from those with fingers itching to create, to those who just want to stand back and admire the incredible talents of others.
A massive THANKS to the wonderful women involved in the project so far. How impossible it would have been without you. You are OH so incredible. <3
Photography | JENNY JACOBSSON Floral Art Designer | SISSEL WILLBRO of Fröken Blomma Hair and Make Up Artist | SABINA SELIN of Style By S Models | ELNA NILSSON (umbrella), CHRISTINE GLANSBERG (ballerina), ANNIKA HOLMDAHL (masks), NAZANIN ZAREI (shield) & SOFIA SEGERSTRÖM (box)
EXHIBITION at Gothia Towers The Gallery – Jenny Jacobsson, Thomas Feiner, Johannes Berner & Johan Lund
And so it is time again! A selection of my work is in exhibition at Gothia Towers The Gallery in Göteborg Jan 15th – 31st, 2016, this time in the company of the wonderful photographers and artists Thomas Feiner, Johannes Berner, and Johan Lund. The description is:
“A photo experience beyond the ordinary is visiting The Gallery.“
The exhibition is presented by Sandeng Art and their team has set up an awesome display and still life in the gallery windows, and to my image The incongruity they have created an interpretation of the photo setting. Go check it out!
You can read more about the exhibition and us artists at The Gallery’s site. The Gallery is the beautiful art showroom of Gothia Towers, located between the hotel lobby and the Swedish Exhibition Centre (Svenska Mässan).
“PARALLEL WORLDS” – Solo exhibition at Gothia Towers The Gallery
It was a great honor having my solo exhibition, ‘PARALLEL WORLDS’ at Gothia Towers The Gallery in Göteborg Sept 22 – Oct 8, 2015.
“The photographic exhibition invites you into worlds we see when closing our eyes, conceptualized and told through Jenny Jacobson’s camera, creative image construction and strong narrative.
Included are 3 brand new, yet not shown, works. The exhibition is presented and produced by Sandeng Art, and we are all proud and eager to show you the beautifully and carefully made works.”
The Gallery is the beautiful art showroom of Gothia Towers, located between the hotel lobby and the Swedish Exhibition Centre (Svenska Mässan). And wall to wall simultaneously to the exhibit the largest fair of the year, Göteborg Book fair, took place, filling the gallery with a staggering amount of creative people. I couldn’t be more happy about the arrangement and the resulting event. ‘Parallel worlds’ is available for new venues and if you missed this one I hope to exhibit soon again, close to your location.
The last image in this blog post is from the opening, and it was filled with so much wonderful inspiring people, both new acquaintances and old friends. An incredibly warm thank you to all of you wonderful people, sharing the moment with me, for the incredibly nice conversations, and for all the shared passion.
Award in PX3 WHITE: COLOR TRILOGY PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION, 2015
“Jenny Jacobsson of Sweden was Awarded for the entry entitled, “The sentence”. The jury selected winners from thousands of photography entries from over 85 countries.”
The prestigous PX3 Prix de la Photographie Paris conducts a three-color themed competition and this year’s theme was white. The competition is inspired by and in tribute to polish fimmaker Krzysztof Kieslowski’s 1990s ‘Three colors’ trilogy.
I’m happy to announce that my image ‘The sentence’ from series ‘Parallels‘ was awarded with an Honorable Mention.
ABOUT Px3: The “Prix de la Photographie Paris” (Px3) strives to promote the appreciation of photography, to discover emerging talent, and introduce photographers from around the world to the artistic community of Paris. Website: px3.fr
‘Forty Faces’ – Self Portraiture Art Exhibition at Sandell Gallery
Last week the doors opened to Sandell Gallery and the exhibition »Forty Faces«, a fantastic collection exhibition with a motley crew of art pieces themed Self Portraiture. 40 artists, 40 self portraits, different media, and me and my ’The unveiling’ from series ‘Parallels‘ is one of them.
“Self-portrait is the only motif that has stood the test of time. Almost all artists in the last five hundred years have sooner or later chosen to paint his own face and his own body.”
Welcome! ____________
FORTY FACES July 10 – 22, 2015 Sandell Gallery Göteborg, Sweden Curated by Christina Sandell ____________
PARTICIPATING ARTISTS
Agneta Dalnäs | Aleksandar Sekara | Alex D. Enerskog | Anna Blennow | Anna Östberg-Casanova | Caroline Brems | Christine Jansson | Daniel Wirgård | Elin Andersson | Ellen Artling | Eva Wirén | Helena Gyllensvärd | Håkan Aludd | Jan Eneroth | Jan-Erik Stålnacke | Jenny Jacobsson | Jenny Mårtensson | Jesper Dickell | Julia Cederqvist | Katarina Krebs | Karin Grisejente Jansson | Karin Persson | Krister Kern | Lisa Lans | Lisa Persson Baagøe | Lotta Larsson | Maria Lindbeck | Martin Elgueta | Mathilda Sjöström | Mats Mattsson Boström | Mia Andrésen | Patrik Andersson | Romel Ilarde | Rune Lans | Shanti Wernersson | Sofia Bergman | Sofia Wallner | Steve Bettman | Therese Ljungh Lindberg | Vivianne Otsa
The opening on July 10th was jam-packed with loads of wonderful and enthusiastic art indulgers. Thank you for the wonderful conversations you guys! Here are some images from the event:
ENJOY THIS TEXT FROM THE EXHIBITION BOOK (in Swedish):
Ett självporträtt, en bild av sig själv. En avbildning av sin själ. Sitt yttersta och sitt innersta. Att kunna berätta och blotta är en konst. Att framställa sig själv. Det krävs mod och självinsikt.
Hur visar vi oss själva? Ett ansikte. Rätt upp och ner eller med ett kommatecken däremellan. Vad är det som är just jag? Kanske en symbol, ett uttryck eller ett par intensiva ögon – en blick som säger allt. Eller allt annat utom det. En dansande bild på dig på en äng. Något som visar energin. Självporträtt, avbildningar, har funnits i alla tider. Några av historiens mest kända konstverk är just självporträtt – Rembrandt, Leonardo da Vinci och van Gogh. I dagens läge är vi våra egna konstnärer. Vi skapar självporträtt utan att kanske tänka på det. Knäpper av ögonblick. Avbildar oss under en förändring. Exponerar oss på internet. »Jag ska bara ta en selfie.« Bekanta och obekanta gör tummen upp och hjärtar våra ansikten.
I forty faces har 40 konstnärliga personer blottat sina själar. Skapat och exponerat. 40 konstnärliga personer från olika delar av världen. Med mod och självinsikt.
Text by Ronette Svensson
Welcome to ‘Forty Faces’ – Self Portraiture Art Exhibition at Sandell Gallery!
Feature and interview for Kamera & Bild – PORTRAIT SPECIAL
“PORTRAITS IN ANOTHER WORLD Jenny Jacobsson swapped a career as a DNA analyst to one as a portrait photographer. But she shoots no ordinary portraits. Instead her images holds stories and dreams that have been developed in close cooperation with the person being portrayed. The result is often not just an image but also a friendship.”
I’m so thrilled to see this wonderful and comprehensive article about me and my photographic work in KAMERA & BILD, one of, if not the, biggest photography magazines in Sweden. It is released today in every well-stocked store with magazine.
This issue’s theme is Portraits, and is focusing on what makes a portrait good, how to think as a photographer when creating it, and gives tips about how to develop yourself together with your portrait images. I’m honored to be one of the professionals they asked to give my point of view.
The interview was done last month by reporter Ola Jacobsen and I want to give a shout out to Ola for such a nice collab! Above is the headline and introductory of the article.
‘HIDE AND SEEK’ – The story behind the portrait at Sandsjöbacka
South of Göteborg is a nature reserve we drive by
each time we go visit my parents-in-law. It’s right there next to the highway, stretching out in all its glory, a heathland making my mind go absolutely wild. I’ve been thinking about shooting there since 2009 when I started to pass it by when I met Andreas. This summer it was time… This is the story behind the portrait at Sandsjöbacka.
I remember sketching the idea out in the middle of a sleepless night. I snuck out of bed at about 2 or 3 am while Andreas was sleeping, snatching a notepad out of the dark on my way into the bathroom. Sitting there with bare legs on the cold tiles I wrote pages about a constant search through life, questions about truths not always visible, and actions taken.
Notes and sketch of concept
The story of ‘Hide and seek’ is heavily based on the transition I have done in life. Being part of my series ‘Parallels’, it carries the research I so often revisit in my work.
The idea is also heavily influenced by something I remember my grandmother say when I was a child…
“If you bring heather inside the house, you bring death in with it.”
That old superstition was the foundation of this exact location and for me, a big part of this story.
Behind the Scenes of the shoot
To get to the location we had to park a couple of kilometers away and hike on one of the trails. Fortunately I’m blessed with the kindest most patient husband, and assistant, ever. So we took the photo gear we needed on our backs together with the shovel, and off we went. On the way there we passed through some truly lovely forests that I just have to go back and shoot in at another time. Maybe for a portrait of any of you out there?
Map and meadow | Sandsjöbacka
This was going to be a self-portrait, wearing one of my old business dresses that I wasn’t keen on hiking in. So getting my hair done beforehand, with a messy bun hinting that the woman had been at it for a while, was ok but I changed into my outfit when we had arrived.
Andreas on the hiking trail | Sandsjöbacka
When arriving at the heath we spent some time looking for the optimal spot to shoot at, with a great undisturbed view and where a lot of the beautiful heather could be seen. We didn’t have to look for that long. Since I had the entire image planned out beforehand, all that was needed was a quick change of clothes, some rigging, and then we got to it.
Behind the Scenes of ‘Hide and seek’
The shoot went quite smoothly even though we took our time to not stumble around destroying any of the heather.
And luckily it went quite fast, because the mosquitos were ruthless, as can be seen by taking a look at Andreas’s legs the day after.
INSPIRATION FOR IMAGE CREATORS – Digital Illustration Art
As a photographer, or any image maker, you can choose to sit around waiting for inspiration to pop up by itself. Personally, I’m a firm believer that feeling inspired is a state of mind you can teach yourself to find when you need it. So, what can we do to get started? I’m gathering and sharing my methods and favorite creators as a resource to help keeping our inspirational juices flowing. And I invite you along for this series of “INSPIRATION FOR IMAGE CREATORS”!
Photographers tend to look a lot at other photography to get inspired. Although, I’ve heard so many times from photographers that they feel trapped by comparing their images with the work of others within the same field. Thoughts like “oh, somebody else already did that” or “ah, if I only got to shoot those who Annie Leibovitz shoots” can hold you back rather than inspire. I find that by indulging in art that you simply can’t create yourself can help to open up your mind and let go of any negative thoughts.
Personally I’ve noticed that I more and more look at other art forms. Here are 3 Digital Illustration Artists who keep on rocking my world and give me a huge influx of a desire to create!
Everyone expects me as a photographer only to have photos on my walls at home, but last year we purchased this beautiful, and wonderfully quirky, art piece of Christian Schloe; “Dreaming of Spring”. And it is now inspiring me everyday with its mystique.
Christian Schloe is a digital artist who creates surreal scenes featuring bizarre moments. Realistic elements are blended together to form new possibilities. As a viewer you are transfered from reality into a dreamy, fictional world.
I found that Christian quotes Peter S. Beagle;
“Anything can happen in a world that holds such beauty.”
Other than that Christian seems to prefer to speak through his images, and not through words. So instead of reading text, dive into his very special worlds, and let his art do all the talking.
Maggie is an American artist who works with creating digital images by the use of photographs, scanners, and Photoshop. She has studied photography at Yale and University of Florida, and after more than ten years as a still life photographer, she began to use the computer to create her images in 1996.
Her collaged digital artwork is often created with help of items she finds by frequently searching flea markets, eBay, or nature and she gathers everything that seem to have a story to tell. She also take her own photos with a point-and-shoot camera or use old photos of people. In her studio she makes small pastel drawings as backgrounds and scan each element into the computer separately. In Photoshop she arranges and plays with these layers in much the same way that she earlier worked with objects in her studio as a still life photographer.
In this video you can see a lot of Maggie’s work as well as get behind the scenes of how she creates them:
“I am interested in creating a cohesive, visual, believable space that the viewer can visually enter. So, I do not use a lot of transparency or create a space that is too visually complex. Ideally, I want the images to invite the viewer to engage and recollect, almost like entering a stage set or a scene from a dream.” Maggie Taylor
Maggie, through her surrealistic montages, surely transports the viewer into dreamlike worlds. And I love being in them.
You can find more images from and also articles about Maggie Taylor at the Artsy site.
This German graphic designer lives and works in Malaysia where she creates inspiration tickling surreal digital artwork. Using mixed media Catrin takes vintage photos apart and by experimenting in Photoshop she assembles them again into creating new content and stories.
“My images are all digital made. I collect old images and illustrations and put them new together in Photoshop. The working process is based on combining and the division of photographs, with removing, filling and retouch. Using digital medium I have far more creative possibilities and I can work much faster then on the canvas. Perhaps, my skills have been formed during the long years of working in front of my computer. Thanks to all that I can create my art best in digital.” Catrin Welz-Stein
Published in ‘BEST OF THE BEST PHOTOGRAPHERS 2014’ book by One Eyeland
Here it is, the golden book. Shining and glittering on my desktop this morning and I’m happy to say I’m published in “Best of the best photographers 2014”. As they state themselves, it contains the finest images in One Eyeland of 2014, chiseled from a raw material of over 107 000 photographs down to 191… And I’m in there. I take off my hat, and bow.
“We chase photographers from seven corners of the world. We tempt them, taunt them, badger them and sweet talk them into sharing their dearest images with us. Applying a ruthless filter called ‘exacting standards’, we then handpick the ‘Best of the Best Photographers’. The One Eyeland Book Volume 4 is an inspiring compilation of this crème de la crème. Melted from a mighty corpus of 107 000 uploaded pictures, and forged from a staggering shortlist of 24 500 images, the golden collection is a showcase of 191 scintillating photographs worthy of the yellow metal.” Sharad Haksar, Founder of One Eyeland
It’s “not just a book, it’s a collector’s item” and if you want to buy the book you can get hold of it here. But a good alternative is of course to check out the e-version here.
Music album cover art for Solala – stormy portraits in Göteborg
We had been waiting for that truly moody overcast autumn day, and when it came in October, we went out to the coastline outside Göteborg to shoot the music album cover art for Solala.
“Solala started by a kitchen table 2½ years ago and has since become an online phenomena with millions of YouTube views and a huge fan base. It was time for the release of their first album, Swedish Fishermen, and I got the honor and assignment to shoot their album art.”
Being from Göteborg the brief was to put this coastal band in their natural environment but at the same time to take their hallmark, the kitchen table, out to wherever they were. To create that blueish stormy feeling we went out really early one very rainy morning.
Although one of us slipped and fell, a table leg fell off, and loads of goose bumps… we had nailed the perfect set and we surely were a very happy crew! And it couldn’t have ended more magically then having coffee by the sea, and the guys treated me and Amanda (assistant) with a little private concert by bursting out singing their, by then not released, It’s gonna be me. To sit there out on that tiny island and just listen to the guys is something I could do all day 🙂
The graphic design of the album was done by fantastic Andreas Jacobsson of MOLLBYRÅN, and it was a really great collaboration.
“How do you tell a story in a creative image? Why is it important with a location scouting library, what symbolizes different colours in different cultures, and how can a single piece from nature build an entire story?“
A big audience of about 300 joined me when I shared why and how image storytelling is so important and has gotten such a big place in my heart (and yes… you are correct… I was on the verge of tears there for a while…). I talked about 5 tools you can use to help you create and adapt your story. Lastly I gave you an exercise you can use if you find it difficult to get going with your own storytelling. And of course I couldn’t help to spice it up with some anecdotes from my photographic adventures as well!
~ INTERESTED IN HAVING ME AS A SPEAKER? FEEL FREE TO SEND ME A MESSAGE! ~
Interview and feature for Moderskeppet – Behind the creative work
“In photographer Jenny Jacobson’s head fits lots of amazing stories, both her own but also others. Stories that come to life in photos after careful planning, photo shooting, and creative image processing. Jenny is an image narrator who fascinates and arouses emotions…
What are her thoughts about her creativity?”
That’s the description for the interview made by Moderskeppet last week. Through the interview I got to think about questions that I believe would be useful for every photographer to contemplate every now and then. Join me and get Behind the Scenes of my parallell worlds! READ THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE(it’s in Swedish)!
Questions asked: WHY DO YOU CREATE? DO YOU ALWAYS HAVE A CLEAR PLAN FOR YOUR PHOTOS? WHERE DO YOU IDEAS LIVE? DO YOU COMPLETE ALL PROJECTS? DO YOU HAVE TO HAVE INSPIRATION, OR DO YOU JUST GO FOR IT ANYWAY? WHEN AND WHERE DO YOU CREATE? TELL US ABOUT AN IMAGE THAT MEANS A LOT TO YOU. AND CAN WE SEE SOME BEHIND THE SCENES FROM CREATING IT? DO YOU WORK A LOT ON BEING VISIBLE AS A CREATOR? CAN YOU GIVE US A BOOK RECOMMENDATION?
MY TIP FOR FURTHER READING
Do you want to find out more, maybe in English?
You can find features, interviews, publications, and editorials about JENNY JACOBSSON under the category Features & Publications!
To tell a photographic story – Musings from this spring’s intern
“If you’ve, just like me, been in love with Jenny Jacobsson and her creative and well thought out pictures and stories, for a while, you’ve probably seen the one with a girl in a white dress, covered in pink paint, sitting on a ladder surrounded by cherry blossoms. The image, called “The Burden”, is about unrealistic ideals, it’s about all women who are suffering under warped expectations – it’s about me.
I met Jenny for the first time one cold morning in May 2014. I then only knew we were about to create an image and that I would be covered in paint – and that it probably would be cold. All those expectations came true and so much more. I strongly believe that some people are just meant to meet and become friends and that’s just what happened this cold spring morning.
Can you name the colour of your soul, Photography by Amanda Falkman 2014
So who am I, sitting in Jenny’s sofa, singing along with Mumford and sons? More than a girl tired of unrealistic beauty ideals who sometimes get tired from painting cherry blossoms?
Well, my name is Amanda and I’m just like Jenny a freelancing photographer with a request to create captivating images. I have a predilection for blurry foreground photography, liver spots and sparkler. I see all the days of the week in different colours, I ugly cry to Toy Story and I’m hopeless in love with a two hundred years old fortress called “Carlstens fästning” (Carlsten’s fortress).
Don’t forget me – she dances in the shape of shadow and wind, Photography by Amanda Falkman 2014
And the reason why I’m writing this blog post is because I have the honour to be Jenny’s intern and assistance this semester. The main reason why I chose her as my mentor (besides her bubbly and likeable personality) is her impressive capacity to tell stories through images. This is one of the many things I hope to become better at, when this semester has come to its end. Because in a society where we constantly see and come across pictures of all kinds I’ve started to wonder:
Can we, as photographers, use images to tell stories with important messages and in the extension make the world a better place?
Apocalypse, Photography by Amanda Falkman 2014
Take “The Burden” as an example – it’s an extremely beautiful image (highly objective opinion) but it tells you a story and highlights a major problem of our time.
So, as an exhortation from me to you is to start thinking about your part in making difference and what kind of problem you could highlight by creating an image and telling a story.”
Can you name the colour of your soul, Photography by Amanda Falkman 2014
Don’t forget me – she dances in the shape of shadow and wind, Photography by Amanda Falkman 2014
Apocalypse, Photography by Amanda Falkman 2014