Selected Exhibitions (*Solo Shows)
2008 MR. SAN DIEGO LEATHER ART AUCTION 2008
SDLP, San Diego, CA
EXPRESSIVE BODIES II
IU Northwest Contemporary Gallery, Gary, IN
FIGURATIVELY SPEAKING
Art Association of Harrisburg, Harrisburg, PA
John Davis, Milton Hershey School Museum – juror
2007 MR. SAN DIEGO LEATHER ART AUCTION 2007
SDLP, San Diego, CA
CAMERA OBSCURA -
RECENT PINHOLE PHOTOGRAPHS BY JAN KAPOOR
The Showcase School of Photography, Atlanta,GA
ABOUT FACE
The Showcase School of Photography (Atlanta)
at A Novel Experience, Zebulon, GA
Sheila Pree-Bright and Manuel Llaneras, jurors
EXPRESSIVE BODIES
The Herron Gallery, The Herron School of Art and Design,
Indianapolis, IN
EVIDENCE OF THINGS UNSEEN
Peninsula
Museum of Art, Belmont, CA
*INTIMATE REFLECTIONS
WILLENDORF, Vienna, Austria
GOVERNOR EDWARD
G. RENDELL’S INAUGURAL ART WALK
AAH,
Harrisburg, PA
FIGURATIVELY SPEAKING
Art
Association of Harrisburg, Harrisburg, PA, Kim Banister HACC juror
2006 FEATURED ARTIST OF THE MONTH
October, Mark Nelson Enterprises online, New York, NY (http://marknelson.biz/)
7TH ANNUAL ARTSPACE @ PRIDEFEST
New
York, NY
7TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL
EROTIC ART EXHIBITION
Tangent
Gallery / Hastings Street Ballroom, Detroit, MI
FIGURATIVELY SPEAKING
Art
Association of Harrisburg, Harrisburg, PA
Monica
Smith-Talbot juror
2005 PHOTOMOSAIC ELEMENT “PERFECT SYMMETRY
The
Museum of the African Diaspora, San Francisco, CA
MR. SAN DIEGO
LEATHER ART AUCTION
GMSMA,
New York, NY
3RD INVITATIONAL
GMSMA EROTIC ART SHOW
SDLP,
San Diego, CA
WHAT I SHOT THIS
SUMMER
The
Darkroom Studios, Merchantville, NJ, juried.
ANIMAL KINGDOM
Art
Association of Harrisburg, Harrisburg, PA,
Dr.
Douglas Benner - juror
MASTER'S MYSTERY
ART SHOW
Florida
International University, Miami, FL
*MEN OF COLOR
IN BLACK & WHITE
DownStares
Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
5TH ANNUAL NEW
YORK CITY EROTIC ART WEEKEND
Tom
of Finland Foundation, Los Angeles, CA
77TH ANNUAL JURIED
EXHIBITION
Art
Association of Harrisburg, Harrisburg, PA
Linda
Simmons - Curator Emeritus Corcoran Gallery, Washington DC, juror.
13TH ANNUAL BLACK
HISTORY EXHIBITION
Art
Association of Harrisburg, sponsored by Harrisburg City Council, Harrisburg,
PA
Nancy
Mendes - Instructor of Humanities, Penn State Harrisburg, juror.
MAN & NATURE
Bridges
Gallery Online - Fine Art Photography, Harrisburg, PA
(http://bridgesgallery.com/)
*BEARS OF ALL
COLORS II SOLO ART SALE
Bear
Café of New York City, New York, NY
2004 10th ANNUAL L.A. EROTIC ART WEEKEND
Tom
of Finland Foundatian, Los Angeles, CA
2nd INVITATIONAL GMSMA EROTIC
ART SHOW
GMSMA,
New York, NY
ILLUMINATIONS (Two Man Show)
Bridges
Gallery Fine Art Photography, Harrisburg, PA
4th ANNUAL NEW YORK CITY EROTIC
ART WEEKEND
Tom
of Finland Foundation, Los Angeles, CA
2003 9th ANNUAL L.A. EROTIC ART WEEKEND
Tom
of Finland Foundation, Los Angeles, CA
RICHES
New
Hope, PA
3rd ANNUAL EROTIC ART
WEEKEND
Tom
of Finland Foundation, Los Angeles, CA
*ONE MAN, Art Center
Sarasota, Sarasota, FL
2001 RAY AND BEVERLY BROTH ANNUAL PHOTOGRAPHY SHOW
Art
Center Sarasota, Sarasota, FL
2000 9TH LESBIAN AND GAY PHOTO ANNUAL
Leslie-Lohman
Art Gallery, New York City, NY, Juried Show
1999 8TH LESBIAN AND GAY PHOTO ANNUAL
Leslie-Lohman
Art Gallery, New York City, NY, Juried Show
Public Collections
The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction, Bloomington, IN
The Museum of the African Diaspora, San Francisco, CA
Bridges Gallery, Harrisburg, PA
The Center for Fine Art Photography at the Museum of Contempory Art, Fort
Collins CO
David Springle, David Aden Gallery, Venice Beach, CA
Leslie-Lohman Gay Art Foundation, New York City, NY
The Tom of Finland Foundation, Los Angeles, CA
Private Collections
Charles W. Leslie, Founder and President of the Leslie-Lohman Gay Art Foundation,
New York, NY
John Amaechi, Chairman & Chief Executive of the ABC Foundation, Manchester, England / Owner of Animus Consulting, London, England / 1999-2000 NBA All-Interview First Team
"(I) was blown away [by the 'Endangered Eagle' print]; it will take a position of pride in my home. To say that I am thrilled is an understatement!!!"
Memberships
The Center for Fine Art Photography at The Museum of Contemporary
Art, Fort Collins, CO
Art Association of Harrisburg, Harrisburg, PA
Commercial Representation
Public Service Announcement, "Health Intervention Advisors," president Lester M. Hunt III, Washington metro region, 2008
The NY LGBT Center April 4, 2008 Anniversary celebration propmtional, Tony DJSOUL Dobson, New York, NY; 2008
HUMP Podcast promotional at http://humpwednesdays.podomatic.com, iTunes (search the word hump), Tony DJSOUL Dobson, New York, NY; 2008
Promotional Palm Cards, 22nd GMSMA Leatherfest 2006, GMSMA, New York, NY;
2006
Promotional Ad (4 photographs), Mark Nelson Enterprises online, promoting Tom Of Finland Foundation 12th Annual West Hollywood — Los Angeles Erotic Art Fair Weekend - October 6 8, 2006, New York, NY; 2006
Licensing of Photographs, Village Lighthouse, Inc., Variety of paper products distributed through multiple brands including: 10% Consumer Products, Provocateur, Alluvial Filmworks, Greenwood Cooper Homevideo, and Village Lighthouse Consumer Products, Los Angeles, CA; 2006
Licensing of Photographs, Village Lighthouse, Inc., Variety
of paper products distributed through multiple brands including: 10% Consumer
Products, Provocateur, Alluvial Filmworks, Greenwood Cooper Homevideo, and
Village Lighthouse Consumer Products, Los Angeles, CA; 2005
Packaging Label, Ilford Private Brand 11”x14” Fiber Photo Paper, Nationally distributed through the Darkroom Studios, Mechantville, NJ; 2004
Bibliography (*Reviews)
*The UnZipped Calendar Awards, Unzipped, “Days of 2008 Heaven”, Los Angeles, CA, December 2007 issue, http://www.unzipped.net
*StudioGuyzMag, “JD Dragan: A Photographer And His Process”, Rodney Washington, http://studioguyzmag.blogspot.com/2007/10/jd-dragan-photographer-and-his-process.html,
Oct, 2007
*StudioGuyzMag, “JD Dragan: Passion in Black and White
- Part 2”, Rodney Washington, http://studioguyzmag.blogspot.com/2007/06/jd-dragan-passion-in-black-and-white_13.html,
June, 2007
*StudioGuyzMag, “JD Dragan: Passion in Black and White
- Part 1”, Rodney Washington, http://studioguyzmag.blogspot.com/2007/06/jd-dragan-passion-in-black-and-white.html,
June, 2007
*GBMNews, “An interview with J. D. Dragan”, Kevin B. Hansen,
http://www.gbmnews.com/articles/710/1/An-interview-with-J-D-Dragan/Page1.html,
June, 2007
Homokunst II, Männer Aktuell, 04/2007, Bruno Gmünder Verlag GmbH, Berlin, Germany, pg. 10
Rainbow.at, jd dragan - photographien
http://www.rainbow.at/event/7500
Vienna Gay News, COXX, Front page: JD Dragan im Willendorf, Ausgaben 5/2007
http://www.coxx.at/
*Petra M. Springer, “Kultursplitter”, Black Male Nudes, Lambda Nachrichten
HOSI, 2.2007, März/April, Nr. 116 29.Jarrg., pg. 32 http://www.lambdanachrichten.at/ln207.pdf
Incubus' Choice, “Close Up On…”, JD Dragan
http://www.incubuschoice.com/closeup_1522_en.html,
February, 2007
*Richard Bergmann, “The Fine Art of Photography...The naked truth about JD Dragan”
MyCliqo.com,Winter 2007 issue, http://www.mycliqo.com/content/view/15/35/
*Stephen Libby, “JD Dragan’s Black: A Calendar”
Gaydar Magazine, Vol. 3, Number 7, Winter 2007 issue
Provocateur Black 2007 calendar review
Flesh 4 Men, San Diego, CA, Fall/Winter 2006 edition
http://www.flesh4men.com/archive/fallwinter06/calendars.asp
BLUE+ Magazine #65
Studio Magazines, East Sydney NSW, Australia, November 2006 edition.
Dispatch E-news #65, Erotic Art in the News
JD Dragan photo “Provocateur Black 2007 calendar”
“Foundation in the News", Tom of Finland Foundation, Los Angeles,
October 2006 edition.
*Incubus' Choice, JD Dragan,
http://www.incubuschoice.com/, March 31, 2006
2006 wird heiß, Die besten Männerkalendar,”
Du & Ich, Berlin, Germany, Dezember 2005/Januar 2006
*rod2.0:beta blog, Provocateur Black, shot by JD Dragan,
http://rodonline.typepad.com/rodonline/2005/09/provocateur_bla.html,
September 02, 2005 issue
*Deesha Dyer, “Live Nude Boys!”
Philadelphia CityPaper,
Mixpicks September 1 - 7, 2005 issue
*rod2.0:beta blog, BODYBUILDERS ... Kai and Theo Moore,
shot by JD Dragan, http://rodonline.typepad.com/rodonline/2005/06/jd_dragan.html,
28.Jun.2005 issue
Carrie Nicholas-Wissler-Thomas, Editor, “Members in the News,” AAH News, Harrisburg, PA, Volume 80, Number 3, May/June2005
Nancy Mendes, juror; JD Dragan photo “¿Created Equal?”, Hand Colored Silver Gelatin Print, AAH News, Harrisburg, PA, Volume 80, Number 2, March/April 2005
* Fleshbot web magazine, http://fleshbot.com/sex/gay/photo/jd-dragan-photography-034145.php, February 24, 2005 issue
Katherine Ware, juror; JD Dragan photo “Perfect Symmetry Past”, Colloidal Silver Gelatin Fusion, The Photo Review, Philadlelphia, PA, Volume 27, Issue 2, 2004
Dispatch E-news, JD Dragan photo “¿Created Equal?”, “Foundation in the News,” Tom of Finland Foundation, Los Angeles, June 2004 edition
*Nicholas Boston, “Tom’s Legacy Legitimizes Erotica,” Gay City News, New York, NY, Volume 3, Issue 322, p. 37, May 27 – June 2, 2004
“The Male in Camera,” Pelican Press, Sarasota, FL, January 9, 2003
*Natasha Gerhart, “Exhibits photographically eulogize people, places,” Sarasota Herald Tribune, January 3, 2003
*Tim Cameresi, “One Man Comes Home,” South West Florida Business Guild, Sarasota, FL, December 2002 issue
Awards and Honors
Silver Medal, National and World Calendar Award Competitions, “Calendar Marketing Association”, Provocateur Black, Best Black and White Photography in the National Awards Competition, 2007
First Prize, Photography, Courtesy of LB Smith Ford, “Figuratively Speaking”, Art Association of Harrisburg, Harrisburg, PA, Kim Banister, HACC juror
Second Place, “What I Shot This Summer”, The Darkroom Studios, Merchantville, NJ, anonymous juried contest, 2005
Best of Show, 13th Annual Black History Exhibition, Art Association of Harrisburg, sponsored by Harrisburg City Council, Harrisburg, PA, Juried 2005
5 Star Goodwill Gold Award, The Bi Men Network, Los Angeles, CA, Labor Day, 06.Sep.2004
Honorable Mention, Ray and Beverly Broth Annual Photography Show, Art Center Sarasota, Sarasota, FL, Juried 2001
Education
Saint Michael’s College, Winooski, VT, B.A., 1976
Photography Department, Ringling School of Art and Design, Continuing Studies, Sarasota, FL, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001
Artist's Statement
Since adolescence I have been fascinated by the quiescence of men in photographs. During my liberal undergraduate education in the mid 1970’s, I shot my first male nude pictures. Since those formative years, my passion for this subject has grown fostered by completing continuing studies in photography at the Ringling School of Art and Design with honors.
My photographs are powerful images capturing the male physique with a formalist
appreciation for muscular sculptural magnificence. I use this visual power
to instill intrinsic value in my male nudes. The intimate relationship between
the viewer and the men in my pictures is revealed through the medium of silver
gelatin photography. The medium fosters purity stripped of distraction. It
allows the spectator to gaze upon the piece, appreciating value, shadow, and
light in an interpretively superior manner.
Photography permits me to seek the moment in time where the mood of the man
in the image is frozen for my esthetic examination. I endeavor to capture
the elemental nature of each individual, his might, his essence, and his uniqueness.
Whether the image is classically reminiscent of another era or brashly modern
in execution, I want the viewer to gain entry into what lies behind the eyes
of the man. While displaying the virility of each man’s form, musculature,
and attitude, the soul’s intelligence is uncovered.
I continue to define my subjects as I focus on men of color. My ongoing challenge
is to capture a male nude in a fashion that is not objectified. While negating
a homogenized characterization, a gestural sense of composition shows these
men to be whole people, complex, masculine, able, and contemporary. In some
instances, social symbolism and visual commentary act as an adjunct to the
men in my images. The portraits often speak louder than mere beauty. My work
addresses present day issues from a variety of directions. Whether I show
the purity of nudity, the union of man and nature, or point up dogmatic elements
of society, the man remains the central focus of a picture where less is more.
My hope is that my work can expose the vitality of all men, but most notably
black men, without fear of social stigma or prejudice. I want my audience
to feel the presence of these individuals in an open way, without fear, freeing
the viewer to appreciate that, which simply makes a man an individual.