Jessica Yatrofsky is an NYC-based photographer, filmmaker, poet, and author, known for her work exploring body politics, beauty, and gender. She received her MFA from Parsons the New School for Design and published her first photography monograph, I Heart Boy, with powerHouse Books in 2010 and her second photography monograph, I Heart Girl, in 2015.
In 2017 she published her debut collection of poems titled Pink Privacy. Jessica’s photographic work is part of the permanent collection with the Leslie Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art and the Museum of Sex. Her photography work has been exhibited overseas and her film work has been both televised and screened at film festivals internationally.
We sat down with the artist for our Behind The Brand series to learn more about the creative.
You currently have a solo exhibition in New York City called Abuse Bouquet. Please tell us more about this exhibit and the story behind it?
JY: I was always fascinated by the idea of reinventing oneself and drew inspiration from Oscar Wild’s The Picture of Dorian Grey, the Baroness Von Wagner and my own experiences as a young artist in the spotlight. Reflecting on my career as a multidisciplinary artist, primarily known for my film and photography work so when I began putting together Abuse Bouquet I wanted to approach the exhibition as a retrospective by giving some context of where and how these different mediums I tend to return to repeatedly, all intersect.
In your childhood, you competed in Miss Nevada Teen USA & attended Parsons School of Design in New York City. Please tell us more about how your childhood has shaped you into the artist you are today?
JY: My entire life has been performative and those early experiences of being recorded, evaluated, and objectified on a stage informed how I later recorded and captured subjects in private. I’ve spent most of my career exploring the relationship between performance and photography as a direct response to my experiences in college and childhood. Having both been a muse and having muses later allowed me to explore the many layers of body politics beauty and gender through work that continues to transverse mediums.
Your latest poetry book, Golden Thrown was recently released and you have an upcoming book tour. Please tell us more about Golden Thrown.
JY: Golden Thrown is my second published collection of poems. In many ways, this book feels like an elevated extension of my first poetry book, Pink Privacy, and builds off this attitude of personal power, cynicism of love, sex, and money. All of my writing is infused with a playful but sensual edge that is cutting. Throwing shade and feeling superior is a pastime I indulged in with this particular work.
As an artist, you have displayed your work across many mediums including monographs, readings, performances, art exhibitions, poetry books and more. What mediums are you keen to explore in the future and why?
JY: I recently began performing poetry in the metaverse. I also started a private Discord channel where I host regular readings. As I tour with my new book, Golden Thrown, I’d like to explore the possibility of simulcasting live performances online so no matter where you are in the world you can attend a reading.
You are a prominent artist in the NFT space, most notably having sold out 7 NFT collections and being the first poet ever to have a collection fully sold out on the blockchain. What is your long-term vision with NFTs?
JY: I founded a secret society for writers, poets, philosophers & creatives to gather in private both on and off the blockchain, called ROOM 707. Each NFT is a key that grants you access to the 707 community and its happenings. This summer holders of the 707 key had access to a private viewing of my exhibition ABUSE BOUQUET in NYC and will also be invited to a members-only speakeasy during Miami Art Basel later this year. As both an artist and an activist I am interested in movements and I feel that there is potential to lean into treating the blockchain as a platform for reclaiming our autonomy.
There was a big push with NFTs, then a significant dip. Can you tell us more about the dip?
JY: I’ve witnessed a consistent wave of creators entering the NFT space even through bear markets. However, there has been a global recession, a war in Ukraine, inflation, and factors at play that has contributed to dips in cryptocurrencies that in return have affected the NFT space. Currently, I’m interested in the shift to long-term building in Web3, concentrating on creators who are developing tech to advance an expanding ecosystem and, yes, buying the dip! (Not financial advice, DYOR.)
What is your opinion on Coinbase Co-founder Fred Ersham’s statement that 90% of NFTs won’t be valuable in a few years?
JY: I think that’s an optimistic estimate.
Where can our readers see your current work?
JY: Abuse Bouquet will be on view from June 17 – August 27 at Launch F18 Gallery in NYC.
For more info on the exhibit or any inquiries, please click here.
