Jordanna Kalman

Jordanna Kalman lives and works in NY. Her work explores loneliness, femininity and individuality. She received her MA in photography from the London College of Communication and her BFA in photography from Purchase College. Jordanna has had her work shown nationally, internationally and online. In addition to her practice she runs the online photography gallery Streit House Space and the Instagram residency program Streit Lab. She works on many different things very slowly all at once.

you were upstairs sleeping when I shot this, 2017, archival inkjet print, 8×10″

half moon, 2018, archival inkjet print, 8×10″

sit tibi copia nostri, 2017, archival inkjet print, 8×10″

little romances

When considered as an object the photograph exists physically in the world, it belongs to someone; it gets held, it has weight, value. I’ve been interested in this concept for some time.
It was this interest plus the recurrent use of my images online without my permission that motivated the creation of the series Little Romances.
I have always made very personal work, my current emotional state and interests get translated directly into my images. Most all these images reflect questions and anxieties about being a woman, navigating what that means; what is expected of me as a daughter, mother, wife or lover versus what I’m capable of. I’ve always been fascinated by women who are feminine, who are comfortable in their bodies and with sexuality while it has always been a mystery to me.
In sharing my work online, sometimes it is treated with respect, but more often not. Not being asked for its use, and/or not being credited; it’s upsetting being treated that way especially with such personal images.
In Little Romances I photograph prints of my photographs and they become a physical object; my object. I surround them with elements from my garden or other personal items not to evoke nostalgia or sentimentality but to deepen my physical connection/claim to these images and distance them from the viewer.
The object-image becomes obscured, repurposed, diverted, so that its original intent remains safe from viewing and at the same time it explores a new narrative.

stung, 2017, archival inkjet print, 8×10″