UNM art lecturer’s photography project gains national recognition

Jessamyn Lovell, a principal lecturer in UNM's art department, is a gender-fluid artist and licensed private investigator based in Albuquerque.

Their recent photography project, How to Become Invisible, was recognized and featured in LENSCRATCH, a leading online fine art photography journal and platform.

In the article, many of their disguises are listed and explained, such as Guardia de Seguridad para el Pueblo (aka Security Guard), Motel Maid Disguise (aka "Joyce"), Professional Woman Disguise (aka "Laura"), Pro-Life Activist Disguise (aka "Laurel"), Barfly Disguise (aka "Chelsea") and many more.

Lovell is currently integrating her skills as a private investigator into her artistic practices as an ongoing conceptual art piece, titled D.I.Y. P.I. (Do It Yourself Private Investigation) and works with the internationally known performance troupe La Pocha Nostra as a producer and performer.

They are the recipient of several awards, including the Aperture Portfolio Prize and the Center for Teaching Excellence in Teaching Award, and were recently a Center for Teaching Excellence Fellow at UNM.

They hold a BFA from Rochester Institute of Technology and an MFA from California College of the Arts.

Lovell's work on the No Trespassing project, where she surreptitiously documented her estranged father, and Dear Erin Hart, where she found, followed and photographed her identity thief, led her to obtain a private investigator's license.

Their work has been featured by media outlets such as Hyperallergic, Wired, This American Life, the Today Show, BBC World News and many more.

To learn more about Lovell's work, visit her portfolio website.