This web page was created programmatically, to learn the article in its unique location you possibly can go to the hyperlink bellow:
http://lenscratch.com/2026/02/review-santa-fe-jessamyn-lovell-how-to-become-invisible/
and if you wish to take away this text from our web site please contact us
©jessamyn lovell, Guardia de Seguridad para el Pueblo (AKA: Security Guard), 2021 Security Guard goals to obscure my gender and identification altogether to turn out to be a faceless, anonymous safety guard. This is each a persona and a disguise developed throughout my coaching with worldwide efficiency troupe La Pocha Nostra from 2016-2018. I’ve used Security Guard in a number of public performances since. I’ve used this disguise to carry out precise safety providers to a hashish farm.
In early November 2025, I used to be invited to CENTER’s Review Santa Fe. Being my first time within the Southwest and expertise on the Reviewer facet of the desk, I wasn’t fairly positive what to anticipate. As an educator, I really like reviewing work; when others hear “critique,” they could shrink back, however I really like the expertise of serving to others by their concepts. Review Santa Fe is an extremely welcoming expertise, rigorously cultivating significant tasks and conversations. Living in a really rural space, this was an inspiring alternative to see what’s on the horizon of the picture world. I’m so excited to share a number of of those tasks over the primary week of February.
Today, we’ll be sharing jessamyn lovell’s How To Become Invisible.
©jessamyn lovell, Motel Maid Disguise (AKA “Joyce”), 2021 Ageless, anonymous motel maid who blends proper into any motel surroundings as a result of nobody notices “the help.” The stack of towels permits me to obscure my face, turning into even much less human and noticeable. I used this disguise whereas investigating a human trafficking case in an area motel.
jessamyn lovell (b. 1977, Syracuse, NY) is a gender-fluid artist and licensed personal investigator based mostly in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Lovell is of French, Sicilian, Irish, and Choctaw heritage and grew up in rural poverty in upstate New York. They maintain a BFA from Rochester Institute of Technology, an MFA from California College of the Arts and are at the moment a Principal Lecturer on the University of New Mexico. Lovell works with images, video, and surveillance as instruments to doc their life experiences, making connections between class and private identification. Their work has been featured on This American Life, BBC Outlook, The Today Show, The Guardian, and different media shops. Lovell has obtained worldwide recognition for his or her work together with No Trespassing (2007-2010) for which they surreptitiously adopted and photographed their estranged father and Dear Erin Hart, (2011-2014) for which they discovered, adopted, and photographed their identification thief. Keep up with their ongoings with their Patreon.
Follow jessamyn on Instagram: @filmnotdead
©jessamyn lovell, Professional Woman Disguise (AKA “Laura”), 2021 Laura. Late 40s, early 50s. She’s a go-getter, borderline workaholic, presumably a little bit of a fast-talker. Most efficient in buying malls, upscale eating places, and the courtroom. While ready in a courtroom for a defendant to indicate who I needed to serve, Laura blends proper in with the attorneys, paralegals, and authorized events.
How To Become Invisible
The multidisciplinary strategy I take to my artwork observe makes use of images, video, set up, writing, and efficiency to course of and body the tales of my lived expertise. I name audiences to witness unusual survival instruments developed from the need to turn out to be my very own advocate, bodyguard, and investigator. For earlier tasks Dear Erin Hart, (2011-2014) and No Trespassing (2007-2010) I discovered, adopted, and photographed my topics with out their data as a means of looking for justice in circumstances the place I felt disempowered. For each tasks I used surveillance and sousveillance as strategies of documenting my course of.
I took this technique a number of steps additional after I then determined to pursue a non-public investigator’s license for my challenge How To Become Invisible (2016-ongoing). After finishing the six thousand work hours required for a New Mexico personal investigator’s license I obtained my license in January 2018. My work as an investigator helps and empowers purchasers, usually when the police usually are not ready or prepared to assist their case. I’ve labored with over 100 purchasers on a variety of circumstances together with home violence, human trafficking, and lacking individuals. Redistribution of energy requires that we leverage our personal privilege and share the accountability of drawing consideration to oppression, abuse, and different types of injustice. This is what I goal to do on this ongoing challenge.
I discover my use of disguise, surveillance, and balancing my security on this interdisciplinary challenge. I synthesize my expertise as a non-public investigator into pictures, movies, installations, performances, and a e book. Photographs of myself in various disguises reveal the lengths to which I’m going in conducting surveillance. First particular person sousveillance movies share intimate particulars of every case (as confidentiality permits). Multi-media installations use surveillance know-how to have interaction the viewers with questions round privateness. My immersive performances encourage contributors to think about their very own positions of energy and privilege by interactive experiences. Designed by Luminosity Lab, and revealed by Workshop Arts, my forthcoming e book by the identical title would be the cultivation of my experiences as an investigator for rent.
Check out jessamyn’s Kickstarter for How To Become Invisible here.
©jessamyn lovell, “Cultural Tourista” Disguise, 2021 Developed as a efficiency persona throughout my coaching with worldwide efficiency troupe La Pocha Nostra from 2016-2018, I started utilizing “Cultural Tourista” as a disguise to conduct surveillance in touristy locations like Old Town in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Taos Plazas. She is especially efficient in these locations as a result of she blends so properly with the retired, rich Texans whose second or third houses are in New Mexico.
©jessamyn lovell, Pro-life activist Disguise (AKA “Laurel”), 2021 “Laurel” is an ageless conservative pro-life activist. She is shy however feels strongly about her beliefs. I used this disguise whereas embedded for per week inside probably the most highly effective nationwide pro-life activist group. It was actually the toughest case I pursued. I went to church to organize and combine into a close-by parish I knew was very pro-life. I used my actual authorized first title to remain nearer to the reality whereas “passing” as one of many activists. I attended prayer circles, fundraising dinners, and a press convention (on the campus the place I educate).
©jessamyn lovell, Barfly Disguise (AKA “Chelsea”), 2024 “Chelsea” hopefully passes for late 30s 😉 perched at a excessive high in a bar or membership – form of a wallflower. She is supposed to mix in like she’s ready for a date however not draw an excessive amount of consideration. Perhaps my most weak disguise, I first used Chelsea for surveilling an accused serial r*pist and used her many occasions since for gathering intel in crowded bars and golf equipment.
©jessamyn lovell, Pregnant Disguise (AKA “Lisa”), 2023 Lisa works properly on surveillance in all kinds of conditions as a result of passersby understand vulnerability in a pregnant girl, which permits me to take a seat for a very long time with out being seen or seen as suspicious. I invested within the foam pregnant stomach as a result of after I was pregnant, I used that to my benefit making an attempt to trace down Erin Hart, the lady who stole my identification. She makes it simpler to do surveillance in very public, high-traffic areas like a bus cease, hanging outdoors of a retailer, leaning towards a automobile, and so many different related conditions.
©jessamyn lovell, Construction Worker (AKA “Mike”), 2023 A multi-purpose surveillance disguise. I do my greatest to masculine-ize myself by sporting a breast binder, heavy-duty shapewear to cinch my hips in, and sometimes facial hair. This disguise has been profitable in permitting me to wander building websites for lengthy durations of time wanted to conduct surveillance in heavy-traffic areas. For one case, I used to be ready for a employee to return again from lunch so I may serve him a restraining order. He had been abusing my shopper for a while till she lastly left him when he bruised their six-month-old child.
©jessamyn lovell, Storage Space Disguise (AKA “Dee”) Field examine, 2024, This disguise was created to be used in a single specific case and has since turn out to be one more all-purpose disguise. The case required me to indicate as much as the space for storing of somebody who owed my shopper cash. The job I used to be charged with was to doc and witness the storage unit proprietor as they went by their possessions assessing what is likely to be price any cash so they might promote it and pay their debt to my shopper.
©jessamyn lovell, Nosy Neighbor Disguise (AKA “Theresa”), Field examine, 2023, Theresa is certainly a form of “Karen.” I affectionately name her a “nosy neighbor” however she can be most likely a gossip and calls out something she thinks “looks suspicious,” making her probably problematic. Although her snooping habits is dangerous at occasions, her age, class, and whiteness renders her invisible and her entitlement hints at a slight authority permitting her to collect info and “pass” as belonging – particularly in suburban neighborhoods.
©jessamyn lovell, Field analysis proof (client rights case), 2021, 3:52 p.m. Undisclosed location. Hired to doc injury performed by a restore facility to an RV owned by my shopper, a touring nurse.
©jessamyn lovell, Field analysis (service of course of), 2022 3:18 p.m. Undisclosed location. Surveilling what was alleged to be an empty lot vacated by an out of enterprise modular house gross sales firm. Turned out the proprietor was nonetheless residing there. Got the plates to substantiate it’s our man. Next problem – serve the man papers.
©jessamyn lovell, Surveillance Target (artist), 2018 2:15 p.m. following topic pictured for a painter trying to get photos of ladies not understanding they’re being surveilled. Each girl agreed to be surveilled forward of time however I used to be to catch them unaware. I delivered the pictures to the shopper however I do not know in the event that they ever shared them with the themes or made work from them.
©jessamyn lovell, Surveillance goal (infidelity), 2018 9:42 p.m. Cheater case. I noticed the goal go in round meal time. Surveillance is especially difficult in suburbia as a result of it’s simple to be noticed when sitting in a automobile for hours.
©jessamyn lovell, Surveillance (infidelity), 2018/2023 12:39 a.m. Another cheater case. Back alley of residence constructing; goal’s automobile is in view. No exercise since roughly 8:12 p.m. Hours of surveillance makes these circumstances profitable however a retired police officer and P.I. instructed me to keep away from these. I realized the arduous means he was proper. No one actually needs to know if their partner is dishonest on them. If they’re hiring a P.I. to search out out, they already know. If I discover the proof, or if I don’t, individuals are upset.
Epiphany Knedler is an interdisciplinary artist + educator exploring the methods we have interaction with historical past. She graduated from the University of South Dakota with a BFA in Studio Art and a BA in Political Science and accomplished her MFA in Studio Art at East Carolina University. She relies in Aberdeen, South Dakota, serving as an Assistant Professor of Art and Coordinator of the Art Department at Northern State University, a Content Editor with LENSCRATCH, and the co-founder and curator of the artwork collective Midwest Nice Art. Her work has been exhibited within the New York Times, the Guardian, Vermont Center for Photography, Lenscratch, Dek Unu Arts, and awarded by Lensculture, the Lucie Foundation, F-Stop Magazine, and Photolucida Critical Mass.
Follow Epiphany on Instagram: @epiphanysk
Posts on Lenscratch will not be reproduced with out the permission of the Lenscratch workers and the photographer.
This web page was created programmatically, to learn the article in its unique location you possibly can go to the hyperlink bellow:
http://lenscratch.com/2026/02/review-santa-fe-jessamyn-lovell-how-to-become-invisible/
and if you wish to take away this text from our web site please contact us
