Quinn Jacobson (American b. 1964) is an artist, teacher and social critic. His artwork raises questions about marginality and the socially invisible. Through his photographs and writing, the viewer's ideas are challenged about socially discarded people, places and events. Quinn earned a bachelors of integrated studies degree (BIS) from Weber State University in photography, communication and visual art and a master of fine arts degree (MFA) from Goddard College in 19th Century photography, subjective anthropology and social identity. Since 2003, Quinn has been working in the wet plate Collodion process. It's a discarded 19th Century photographic process. He creates Ambrotypes, Tintypes (aka Ferrotypes), and negatives (for Albumen printing) using this process. Through his forum board, and doing performative lectures/workshops, he has been instrumental in providing education, community and technical support for other artists working, or desiring to work in the process.
Publications
Quinn has published two books. In 2006, he published, "The Contemporary Wet Plate Collodion Experience" and in 2007, he published, "Conferring Importance: Thoughts and Images about Identity, Difference & Memory". "The Contemporary Wet Plate Collodion Experience" ISBN 1-4276-0273-5 (2006) This is the first wet plate Collodion manual published that includes full color photographs, illustrations and detailed information about the process. He's included an entire fully illustrated chapter on making Albumen paper and Ferrotypes/Tintypes. He describes the nuances of the process and talks about his own experience learning and practicing the craft. There are basic recipes and excerpts from 19th Century material as well as an MSDS sheet for every chemical use in the process. It's well written and very easy to understand. A great bonus in the book is Quinn's personal favorites of his work over the last four years. He's included Ambrotypes, Ferrotypes/Tintypes and Albumen prints (as well as negatives) for chapter cover art, front and back covers and the work is sprinkled through the book. "Conferring Importance: Thoughts and Images about Identity, Difference & Memory" (2007) This book is his portfolio from Goddard College. He earned his MFA with studies in "19th Century Photography" (wet plate Collodion), "Subjective Anthropology" and "Social Identity" in 2007. This is a book that raises questions about feeling and empathy. It's about slowing down and paying attention to people that would be, in most every other situation, invisible to you. In "Conferring Importance", Quinn talks about his theory concerning "difference" as it applies to the fringe or marginalized society. He also gives his history and talks about his early artistic influences that came from the marginalized community he was exposed to and lived with. Quinn talks about genetic memory and DNA too; he asks questions about his Jewish and Native American ancestry as it relates to, and influences, how and why he makes the type of art he does.
Current Work
Quinn is currently (2007) living and working in Europe (southern Germany). He is working on a new project dealing with Kristallnacht Memorials. This body of work should be completed sometime in 2009 or 2010.
