Jo Ann Chaus says, "In this body of work I stand before the camera as a female character inspired by personal and collective memories; in each scene, the subject seems to be in some state of conflict. The props and garments belonged to women I have known, or might have known, creating a metaphorical bridge between them and me, past and present.

The performances give me license to express the struggles, the searching and the heaviness that comes with being an adult, a wife, a mother, a woman.  Assembling the costumes and the "act" of dressing  up connects to the child within, unburdened, with complete freedom to play, imagine and create."

Jo Ann is from and based in the New York area, with a background in the fashion industry and a passion for making color images that are layered, provocative, ambiguous and psychological in nature. She has self published her first monograph, Sweetie & Hansom, a seven year project about the relationship  within and between her family of origin, the sudden death of her younger brother who suffered with addiction, the effect of the loss on the family, and the confessions of secrets long suppressed. 

Her follow up body largely of work of self portraits, soon to be published
as The Other Side of Hazel, looks at her relationship with herself, the girl/child/adult, wife, mother and woman.  She is an alumni of two one-year programs at ICP, 2013 and 2017.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

Acceptance and attendance at two juried portfolio reviews, Center Santa Fe, 2016 and CLICK!, 2018.
Jurors Choice at SXSE portfolio call for entry.
Nine images in the Personal Project at the Darkroom Gallery, Burlington VT.
Lucie 2017 Honorable Mention, catalog/book category.

www.joannchaus.com

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SELF-PORTRAIT HOME:
http://www.laphotocurator.com/self-portrait-curator-laurie-freitag

FIRST PLACE:
http://www.laphotocurator.com/self-portrait-curator-laurie-freitag/first-place-jo-ann-chaus-slip----/1

SECOND PLACE:
http://www.laphotocurator.com/self-portrait-curator-laurie-freitag/second-place-sarah-emma-robinson-don-t-let-it-define-you----/1

THIRD PLACE:
http://www.laphotocurator.com/self-portrait-curator-laurie-freitag/third-place-kelli-pennington-mirror-reflection----/1

HONORABLE MENTION:
http://www.laphotocurator.com/self-portrait-curator-laurie-freitag/honorable-mentions-armineh-hovanesian-sometimes-we-enter-art-to-hide-within-grace-clark-untitled-iii-terra-form-dan-cook-thankful-gordon-mcdonald-moving-in----/1

BEST SERIES:
http://www.laphotocurator.com/self-portrait-curator-laurie-freitag/best-series-jo-ann-chaus/1

EXHIBITION #1:
http://www.laphotocurator.com/self-portrait-curator-laurie-freitag/exhibition-1/1

EXHIBITION #2:
http://www.laphotocurator.com/self-portrait-curator-laurie-freitag/exhibition-2/1