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’s National Museum of Asian Art. In his role as a conservator for the museum, Jett had the good fortune to travel regularly to East and Southeast Asia while, at the same time, continuing with his photography. Since retiring from the Smithsonian, he has devoted himself to photography and his work has been selected for a number of juried exhibitions across the country.
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. In brief, these pictures are about capturing transitory moments that briefly arise and then pass away.