Artist shares life experience

Artist and photographer Jesse Ryan Brown guest spoke to students in the art department his creative process and the journey he took to find the work he truly loves.

Brown is a professor at Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi; before working there, he found himself on a tumultuous journey of self-discovery. He hopped from commercial photography to web design and then back to photography.

“I realized that I didn’t like commercial photography,” said Brown. “Pictures should be more than an index of what they’re representing – they should represent something bigger.”

In 2018, Brown went back to graduate school to pursue an MFA in studio art.

There, he was able to delve into different styles of photography, mainly experimenting with composition. Brown also gained an appreciation for other artists and all of the differing mediums they would work with.

“I wanted to have the philosophical questions about life and my work,” said Brown. “Freedom, conceptual thought, interpretation: those are all necessary to have a better understanding of our position in the world.”

After Brown’s presentation, he was open to answering questions from curious students. Some asked about his current creative process while others asked about Brown’s experiences; students said they came out of the event with a positive mindset for their work.

“He was going in-depth about how we interpret photos and how all [people] see things differently,” said Connor Evans, a senior graphic design major from Ozark, Alabama. “Understanding what could be outside of those photos is important.”

“We shouldn’t just focus on the lighting and technicalities of photos,” said Gabrielle Jent, a junior interdisciplinary studies major from Jasper, Alabama. “We should explore our work and what there is to offer with photography.”

Brown was encouraging students who don’t know what they want to do with their lives, reassuring them it was okay to not know. He explained the process for him was lengthy and difficult, but he had no regrets.

“You’re going to do a lot of things,” said Brown. “I’m glad I did all of those things in hindsight.”

Brown offered his contact information to students in attendance if they had any further questions, encouraging them to reach out.