Portrait of an Artist Interview with Jo Sullivan by Jennifer Bracewell

What are your earliest memories of photography and/or art?

My earliest memories of art are those of my father creating murals, sculpting in lead and taking my brother and me to museums. I took an early interest in photography, making my first pinhole camera at the age of 9. I loved the illusions I could create through a camera lens and used my family’s Polaroid as often as I could. I remember impatiently waving those little photos in the air, waiting for the image to emerge.

What have you sacrificed for your art?

I cannot think of any sacrifices I’ve made, it’s all been a joy.

What is it about portraiture that appeals to you?

Faces. I just love human faces. So much can be expressed, unbidden, in a good photograph. The eyes, the turn of the mouth, the lines, pockmarks, freckles…all those details that make one visually unique.

Why do you think mobile photography and portraiture work so well together?

The ability to manipulate a photographic portrait is astounding in mobile photography. I’ve taken photos of my children and manipulated them to express what I know is behind those eyes, ruminating in that mind in a rather surrealistic way. So much of this could not be done without the applications available in mobile photography.

Tell me about awards and recognition you’ve received.

I’ve only worked in mobile photography along with digital applications since the late summer of 2014 and had no idea there was such a strong movement to bring this art form to the fore. Around the Fall/Winter of 2014 I discovered Joanne Carter and The App Whisperer. I was blown away by the art she was highlighting and decided, rather naively, to start submitting my pieces. Joanne has featured me several times, in Mobile Showcases, as a Featured Artists and on Instagram. I’ve submitted in a few international competitions since then simply for the experience. The attention my work received came as a huge surprise. It still does.

Which of your own images are you most proud of and why?

The ones of my children are the pieces in which I take the most pride. They’re the most personal and the ones to which I feel closest. I’m also proud of my more surrealistic pieces as that’s pretty much how my mind works anyway…

What have been the high points and low points of your career so far?

As my career is in it’s infancy, the highs and lows are pretty close together. Obviously, Joanne’s attention, support and promotion are the absolute pinnacle of the high points. As for lows…I’m feeling them on and off now, where I didn’t before “going public”. Before, I didn’t care what anyone, except my family, thought of my work. Now that I’ve baby-stepped into the public world of so many incredible artists the self-doubt has crept in. Sometimes (read “often) I look at a piece by a fellow artist and I just want to step back into the shadows of my private world, believing I can never aspire to such beauty. It’s a hard conversation to have with oneself, but it’s a necessary one.

What would you say the biggest myth is about mobile photography?

The biggest myth? That mobile photography isn’t true art. That critique is one that’s hounded every new art form throughout history. Some who consider themselves purists in any medium will always find fault with innovation. Just recently, Vermeer’s art came under attack for his possible use of lenses in his work. So what? I applaud those who stretch, attempt to go beyond the norm. Without people driven to find more, create differently, take chances, shrug off the critics, where would we be?

What/whose work of art would you most like to own?

Klimt’s “The Kiss”.  It’s the most perfect piece of art I’ve ever seen.

What song would work as the soundtrack to your life?

I’ve two: “In My Life” by The Beatles with Nina Simone’s “Feeling Good”.