JONA FRANK
PREVIOUS WORKSHOP
The Experiences of Womanhood (Summer of 2022)
(Special Guest)
Jona Frank is a photographic artist living in Santa Monica, CA. Her most recent book, “Cherry Hill: A Childhood Reimagined” is set in the 1970s and chronicles the story of a young photographer stuck in the confines of suburbia. Akin to a graphic novel, this hybrid of personal essay and photographs breaks open the memoir format and details Frank's life as she spends her days dreaming of a friendship with Emily Dickinson, longing for Bruce Springsteen and eschewing the rules of femininity. “Cherry Hill” is Frank's fourth book.
Throughout her career she has worked extensively in narrative portraiture, focusing on youth culture. Her last book, “The Modern Kids”, combines the qualities of formal fine-art portraits with the mystery and intimacy of the sport of boxing. Her first book, “High School”, explores the hierarchy of public high school across the United States. “RIGHT,” her second book, follows religious youth who aspire to become Republican political leaders.
Her films and photographs have been exhibited internationally and are held in numerous collections including the Getty Museum and the Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco. In 2018, work from her boxing series was selected for The Outwin, American Portraiture Today at the National Portrait Gallery. In winter of 2022 Bowdoin College will host the premier exhibit of “Cherry Hill: Model Home”.
