Jaroslaw Studencki

artist statement

In my ongoing series Visits, I solicit strangers' participation in a brief photo shoot which will take place in their home. Because I am not targeting a particular gender, body type, age or race, the statement, especially as the series gains a voice through the images informing one another, becomes more of an ethnographic survey. Each person that I work with has a different idea of how they want to be perceived and a different agenda for replying to my ads. This ranges from the exercising of one's exhibitionistic or sexual tendencies, getting images for personal use, to the basic need to get a quick monetary compensation, which I often offer. This is why it is important for each portrait to take place in the intimacy of each models home, with the hopes that the background, the gesture(often chosen by the models themselves), and level of comfort will poetically inform the brief relationship and the motives behind each model's willingness(or perhaps need) to participate. The process is vital to me in my photographic practice, and that is why I choose a large format analog camera, which further slows down and strains each composition, forcing the vulnerable model to further consider how they are perceived.

what do you love about the MFA program at the University of South Florida?

The location of USF, Tampa(and perhaps all of Florida) is an abundant region for an artist to explore, especially as a photographer. It is a region quite unlike any other in the United States. Tampa and the neighboring St. Petersburg have a tight-knit artistic community, as well as many museums, research facilities, diverse neighborhoods and quirky activities. USF offers its students a huge array of resources like visiting artists, the Graphicstudio, student galleries, Art Museum, great facilities and studios. But above all, the interdisciplinary nature of the program allows you to work with any of the skilled and committed faculty in developing an artistic progress and learning to speak about your work in light of other mediums. Being only a 4.5hr drive from Miami is another perk.

anticipated graduation date: spring 2015

Jaroslaw Studencki, Wendy

Jaroslaw Studencki, Dave

Jaroslaw Studencki, Sarah

Jaroslaw Studencki, Michael

Jaroslaw Studencki, Ania