Welcome to this edition of [book spotlight]. Today, we uncover the layers of 'Tuck and Roll,' by J Houston . We'd love to read your comments below about these insights and ideas behind the artist's work.

In the myriad of identities in our world, understanding and representing each distinct community with honesty, grace and authenticity is vital. Amid traditional narratives and stereotyping, creative avenues like visual arts can provide true, raw and multi-dimensional portrayals of individuals and communities to the world. Today, we're journeying into the enriching universe of Kalamazoo-born, NYC-based artist J Houston, an accomplished name in arts and photojournalism. Their work challenging the norms and reshaping the dialogue around the trans and queer community has exhibited across the globe and won them numerous grants and accolades, including the Silver Eye Center's Keystone Fellowship, Wellcome Photo Prize, and a spot on the 2022 Silver List. Unfolding a fascinating and profound narrative about trans existence in the American Midwest, J Houston's photo book 'Tuck and Roll' offers a utopic envisioning blending everyday with magical realism, providing nuggets of wisdom, sense of identity and the struggles associated with it.

Through the course of this blog, we delve into an insightful conversation with J as they break down their creative process, the choice of medium, the significance of symbolism and magical realism, and how the portrayal of trans community has evolved over the years in their works. We get a behind-the-scenes look at the thought-provoking images curated in 'Tuck and Roll', created during the years 2016-2021 across western Pennsylvania, Michigan and upstate New York. J explains the project represents an intention to slow down the photographic process in order to give the trans portrayal the value and importance it deserves. Read on as J Houston unpacks the core inspirations, processes, and insight about their work in 'Tuck and Roll', and gives a glimpse into their future artistic directions.

J Houston's 'Tuck and Roll' is a photographic journey into the heart of the trans community in the American Midwest. This collection of intimate portraits and telling landscapes merges reality with magical realism, offering a fresh perspective on a often-stereotyped region. From 2016 to 2021, Houston used a large-format film to bring to life an alternative narrative of resilience, trust, unconditional relationships, and acceptance. Each image in 'Tuck and Roll' doesn't just represent a face or place, but tells a profound story of identity, struggle, survival, and in-depth understanding.

Choice of Medium: You chose to use large-format film for this project. How did this choice influence your interaction with subjects and the overall portrayal of the trans community in the Midwest?

I talk often about how I felt a lot of our representation visually, either through social media or even in more traditional arts mediums, was focused around spectacle, performance, and celebration. Drag shows and pride snapshots often take center stage, and while absolutely critical to the history of trans people and the lgbtqia+ community in general, they leave out a slower side to representation that comes about in quieter everyday settings. The large-format view camera allowed me to spend hours photographing with one individual versus sporadic moments in a crowd, leading to a more intimate and empathic encounter -- one I hope the viewer can peer into. As large-format color photography is expensive, it also allowed me to pour material resources and money into our representation in a way that is not often done for marginalized people.

Magical Realism Influence: The book interweaves elements of magical realism with the everyday. How do you see this approach enriching the narrative of trans existence in your work?

I found myself lacking ways to express the discomfort I felt as a trans person just existing in the everyday at the time I began this work almost 8 years ago. Through the large-format photography, both of others or self-portraits with my own body, I started to see trans bodies as beautiful. The film created this aesthetic distance between my reality and what I could create, while still allowing the very real elements of my everyday into this fantasy world. This approach was very inspired by the literary movement magical realism, which deftly wove magic and fantasy seamlessly into a world of more mundane human experience.

Title Significance: The title "Tuck and Roll" is deeply symbolic, referencing both a gender presentation tactic and a survival maneuver. How did you arrive at this title, and what layers of meaning does it add to your project?

I initially found the definition of tuck and roll by happenstance in a Stonewall-era policing manual. In that context, the term directly meant:

"Tuck and Roll (v.); The technique, almost always done while running, involves diving forward in such a way that your shoulder lands on the ground first, and you roll into a little ball. As you come out of the ball, immediately spring back up into a running stance, or move into a kneeling position."

I found this an accurate and lovely way to describe the constant ups and downs that came with being perceived as trans -- while there may be moments of work or pain, there is a spring back into forward motion. The downs don't stop that directionality. 'Tuck' and 'roll' are also both very bodily terms, referring to ways that trans people may alter our given bodies with tape, clothing, procedures, or other methods. I enjoyed the idea we could reclaim a (relatively silly) phrase from a violent time where queer expression was dangerous. From there, the name really stuck throughout various iterations of the project.

Performance and Vulnerability: You discuss the relationship between performance facing an audience and the intimate performances captured through your lens. How do you navigate these dynamics to foster trust and vulnerability with your subjects?

Throughout photographing for this project, I had this rule with myself where I required individuals to reach out to me if they wanted to be photographed based on the work I was putting out at the time. I reached people through word-of-mouth and social media primarily, and everyone in the book is either a close friend or someone who heard about the project then requested I photograph them. This created a base level of trust for us to work off of, and the intimacy and vulnerability followed. I believe that as trans people, we really do want to be seen in more complex ways. I always gave as much or as little direction as participants wanted, and encouraged collaboration by photographing in participants' spaces, giving agency around clothing and setting.

Evolution of Project: Having worked on "Tuck and Roll" from 2016 to 2021, how did your vision and technique evolve over time? Were there any significant turning points or revelations?

I can speak first to my work's aesthetic growth over that period of time. I first picked up a camera in 2016; I basically learned to photograph through this project. I started out shooting 35mm B+W film and ended with large-format color photography, and images spanning the many phases of this process are included in the final edit for the book. 

There are almost too many turning points to consider because learning to find a visual voice can be a complicated or messy process. At first, I found myself constantly documenting a lack of safe space within my portraits and more directly, within any still-lifes or landscapes. Partway through this process, someone said that it seemed I actually was much more interested in the presence of something than the lack of it. That resonated with me and I began to photograph thinking about magical realism and using my lens as a way to create something versus just document the emptiness I felt. 

I also had someone say to me much later in the project, "it's okay to just make beautiful photographs sometimes." I think that was key in giving myself permission to photograph more freely, less bound by heavy concepts. I began making it a priority that the participants felt happy with the images of themselves; making visually beautiful images of trans people in a place where we often felt ugly, strange, or misplaced was enough on its own.

Future Directions: Following "Tuck and Roll," what themes or projects are you drawn to explore next? How has this work influenced your future artistic endeavors?

My most recent project, one I started as I neared the end of editing this book, places portraits of other sex workers alongside images of manipulated environments, building a visual inventory of the world surrounding amateur & pro-amateur pornography. Self-determination is critical to this new work; I approach photographing others as a constant collaboration as I did with "Tuck and Roll." Empathy within portraiture is something I plan to always keep a key part of my work in this new project and any other

To discover more about this intriguing body of work and how you can acquire your own copy, you can find and purchase the book here.

J Houston (Website, Instagram)is a celebrated visual artist and photographer based in New York City. With a diverse educational background from Carnegie Mellon University, where they majored in studio art and gender theory, Houston has been widely recognized for their insightful focus on the trans community. Their artistic repertoire boasts several residencies, including prestigious institutions like the Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts and Vermont Studio Center, along with a slew of grants from recognized organizations, including Adobe and Brooklyn Arts Council.

Houston's deep understanding of the trans community, combined with their eye for detail, is evident in their numerous photographic accolades. These include being a finalist for the Duke CDS Essay Prize, the Robert Giard Grant, the Wellcome Photo Prize, and a place on the 2022 Silver List. Their work has been exhibited in various respected galleries and publications, highlighting their global recognition. Today, J Houston continues their passion project in NYC, using visual imagery to narrate the complexities of trans narratives and identities.

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