Dear Professor Benson:

Please accept this as my portfolio to be included in my application for the position of Adjunct Instructor of Photography.

The concentration of my art practice and research has always been in 2-D disciplines, such as photography, drawing, painting, and, most recently, video. I am skilled in the mechanics of black and white analogue and digital photographic formats, knowledgeable of the rich history of art, and well versed in the contemporary concepts and theories of photography and the foundations of 2-D design.

Having attended academic institutions with modest sized student bodies the past, I have come to appreciate the benefits of small a small classroom and the individual attention that can be afforded by the instructor in such an environment. Though Union University is certainly not a small institution, I noticed on the school’s website that the student to faculty ratio is 12:1. This is an environment that I believe is mutually advantageous for both scholar and educator alike. Additionally, I admire Union University for its stated purpose to “provide Christ-centered education that promotes excellence and character development in service to Church and society.” I would like to become part of continuing that tradition.

Sincerely,

Jason William Cole

"Development"

In this series of photographs, entitled Development, I am exploring the surreal landscape of newly initiated housing development. The vast spans of cleared, leveled ground juxtaposed and interrupted by the new infrastructure (streets, signage, newly built homes, utilities) are displayed inside a fisheye vignette referencing spy photography.

Development 1

Silver gelatin print

Development 2

Silver gelatin print

Development 3

Silver gelatin print

Development 4

Silver gelatin print

Development 5

Silver gelatin print

Development 6

Silver gelatin print

"Stand Straight"

In my late adolescence I was diagnosed with scoliosis, a medical condition which has created a 25-degree curvature in my spine. This condition has caused a great deal of pain in my back when performing certain physical tasks as well as the inability to stand up completely straight no matter what amount of effort I exert. In addition to the pain and discomfort, I am often asked by others to "stop slouching" or to "stand straight." Sometimes comments are made to me about my "poor posture." This series of photos is comprised of self-portraits. A dark line has been drawn down the center of my chest and along my spine on my back, emphasizing the curvature of the spine. Over the course of the series, I make attempts to "stand straight," or at least to cause the dark line to appear vertically straight, allowing the camera to capture the resulting discomfort, pain, and exhaustion.

The following is a sampling of images from my Stand Straight series (all Untitled, warm tone silver gelatin prints):

"Engrossed"

I am endlessly fascinated with the ways in which human beings engage in dialogue not only with other human beings, but also with the objects and places that surround us. When one stares at an object, the object essentially stares back, and both observer and object are changed by the act of looking. This series of photographs is an attempt to demonstrate this phenomenon by portraying a observer staring at an object (in this case an unseen television). Five moments have been captured here in which the observer has become so engrossed in her dialogue with the object that the photographer and his camera have been completely forgotten. Only the dialogue itself remains.

Engrossed 1

Silver gelatin print

Engrossed 2

Silver gelatin print

Engrossed 3

Silver gelatin print

Engrossed 4

Silver gelatin print

Engrossed 5

Silver gelatin print

"Avatar-Self"

This series of images consists of digital self-portraits mined from Myspace.com. Each image originally exists as the online representation of a cyberspace socialite. The image acts as the Internet “body” of the self-symbol; the avatar-self. In the manipulated images, the supposed subject of the photograph, the human figure, is erased; it’s only evidence a rather ambiguous silhouette. Thereby, everything patently human in the image is removed, leaving only the objects, camera, and implied mirror that surround, inform, and signify the blank space of the figure, the perceived locus of the elusive “self”.

The following is a sampling of images from my Erased Avatars series (all Untitled, digitally manipulated found images):

Digital Video

The following is a sampling of some of my digital video work:

Conversations With A Wok

Robert's Land

Margie

Turntable

Object-ified

Expectations