A Conversation with Julieve Jubin

Julieve Jubin is a friend and mentor. We met over ten years ago and we bonded over our love for dogs (we talked about taking trips to visit relatives with lots of dogs). She is always one to point out all the doors that are open for opportunity when you are struggling with an idea or just a weedy part of life. Julieve has an infectious smile and her laughter is warming and easing. Although she has moved a couple of times since we first met, her move out of New York City has informed the way she works on her art, very much experimenting with mediums. I'm sure all the snow shoveling has had an effect on her photos!


france, 2008 © Julieve Jubin

Nymphoto: Tell us a little about yourself .

Julieve Jubin: I worked in the corporate world, The Cooper Union School of Art, Purdue University, International Center of Photography, and now am an Associate Professor of Art at SUNY Oswego, NY, where I teach and coordinate the photography area of the Art Department, and shovel snow. I’ve lived in many places both growing up and throughout my career. I travel regularly and consider New York to be my home, upstate and downstate. I love the snow and expanse of space in upstate; and the everything and more of the city.


white gown short, 2006 © Julieve Jubin

NP: How did you discover photography?

JJ: I began my interest in photography early on. I frequently carried around my Kodak instamatic, photographing everyday scenes, and had a Kodak mailer on hand for speedy turn-around no matter where I lived. I then took a black and white photography course at age thirteen at Parson’s School of Design summer program, and set up my own darkroom. The printing was such a magical experience, when the image surfaced in the developer, no matter how mundane the subject – I felt such a deep connection to my subject. In fact, most of my early pictures are of non-events, such as my father washing dishes and people sleeping.


hanger grey, 2007 © Julieve Jubin


bed 06, 2006 © Julieve Jubin

I studied literature and art in college, never putting my camera down. I studied photography later at Parson’s, and then with Phyllis Galembo at S.U.N.Y. Albany. Despite her work being very different than mine, she has been a role model as a successful woman pursuing her work in photography, as have Christine Osinski, Martha Strawn, Susan Ressler, and Joan Lyons.

NP: Where do you find inspration?

JJ: I find many sources of inspiration for my work, but most come from looking at art that’s innovative and well-done. I have a deep respect for tradition, combined with experimental approaches. I appreciate many styles of photography, but am most drawn to work that is constructed rather than found. Some early influences were of experimental art by musicians such as John Cage, Phillip Glass, and the Kronos Quartet, video artists Mary Lucier, Ken Feingold, the Vasulkas, and Bill Viola, as well as photographers Zeke Berman, James Casebere, and Vik Muniz. I enjoy photography most because of the complexity and tension between representation and abstraction.

For several years, I’ve been working on a series, Drawings from Life, an exploration of the relationship between the studio practice of drawing and photography. I continue to work with this approach while investigating subjects related to conditions and challenges of contemporary society.


bed grey, 2007 © Julieve Jubin


bed blue blanket, 2006 © Julieve Jubin

NP:How did this project come about?

JJ: I’m very much influenced by current circumstances. When I moved to Oswego, NY, I soon realized I was in a very remote area without much external stimulus compared to places like NYC. My office where I teach was a former graduate painting studio with a beautiful skylight. This space, as well as the studio activities of drawing, painting, and sculpture, surrounding me contributed to the development of this work. I can be a very solitary person, and enjoy the creative space of studio practice.


glass coal 01, 2008 © Julieve Jubin


perfume, 2008 © Julieve Jubin

NP: What’s next?

JJ: Soon I will be taking a sabbatical from teaching. I look forward to the uninterrupted time in the studio, experimentation, and enriching my life through the experiences and study of other artwork.


chair 3, 2008 © Julieve Jubin

Thank you Julieve.