Paul Jett
Paul Jett received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art and Philosophy from the University of New Mexico, with coursework that included studio classes in photography and Chinese brush painting, as well as studies in East Asian philosophy, history, and art. After receiving a Master of Arts degree in Art Conservation from Queen’s University in Canada, and postgraduate work at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Jett moved to Washington, D.C. and soon after began working for the Smithsonian Institution at the Freer Gallery of Art. In his role as a conservator for the Freer Gallery, Jett had the good fortune to travel regularly to East and Southeast Asia.
At the same time, he continued with his photography and had works chosen for juried exhibitions of art and photography by the Smithsonian staff. Jett now devotes himself fully to photography, and his work has been selected for juried exhibitions and group exhibitions nationally.
ARTIST STATEMENT
I am a photographer who works primarily in black and white. My past experience with black-and-white film photography and my study of the art and culture of East Asia, particularly ink brush painting, are the sources for my style of work. Chinese ink paintings – with their simple depictions of ordinary things like a branch of a tree or a stalk of bamboo, but which convey deeper meanings than their subjects suggest – have inspired me to emulate their aesthetic in my photographs. I want my photographs to move people to be more aware of their everyday surroundings and to experience its inherent beauty and meaning.
In brief, these pictures are about bringing an emphasis to things around us that we usually don’t notice, noting what one can see if one looks hard enough, and momentarily capturing or delaying the passage of things that quickly come and go.