OPAL Magazine, Introspection & Instax: An Interview With Jocelyn Keays
Sometimes you get the opportunity to meet people who are making a real, positive impact in their community. I had the pleasure of sitting down with one of these people when interviewing Jocelyn Keays who is an Ottawa-based photographer, and the co-founder of the Ottawa art magazine OPAL Magazine. Through our chat, I got to learn a little bit about who Jocelyn is as an artist, her practice, OPAL Mag, and how the COVID-19 pandemic has played into it all.
Credit: Keays, Jocelyn. Self Portrait. 2020, 120mm film, digitally scanned.
We got started by catching up and I’ll admit, after many months in quarantine, my social skills felt a bit rusty. However, my nerves were unfounded and we soon fell into the flow of conversation. We talked about her history as a photographer, and when I asked her about how she got started, she explained that photography has always been a part of her life. “It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when I got into photography because I’ve always been doing it,” Jocelyn says. She also shared a memory of taking photos on the patio of her childhood home, explaining that she would take photos of her toys and pets, and use the disposable cameras her father had for his work. She would take photos on these disposable cameras with only a few shots left, and that’s how her passion for photography began to develop.
Jocelyn also explains that she had the opportunity to learn how to develop film in her high school’s darkroom, which allowed her to further cultivate her passion for photography. Jocelyn attended Lester B. Pearson, which was one of the only high schools in Ottawa that still had a working darkroom. When I heard this I was surprised, and definitely a bit jealous. Jocelyn explained that since she’d been doing photography for pretty much her entire life, and her high school art class allowed her the freedom to use film, she never really considered another path for herself outside of photography.
Credit: Keays, Jocelyn. (Untitled), 2017, 120mm film, digitally scanned.
For post-secondary, Jocelyn went to Algonquin College and SPAO (School of the Photographic Arts), and found a real sense of community with the other students in her program. She talked about being influenced by the cinematically staged photographs of Gregory Crewdson and how she was drawn to large production photos. Jocelyn also explained how the commercial imagery, the likes of which seen in Rolling Stone Magazine and Vogue, all played a part in influencing her artistic style at the time.
We talked a little bit more about commercial photography, and Jocelyn explains, “I like commercial photography very much, but it can be limiting because it’s trying to sell you a product or service.” I completely agreed, and followed-up by asking if her inspirations have changed throughout her practice. Jocelyn replied by saying that over time, she moved on from big production works to more thoughtful, poetic works. Some of the wonderful artists Jocelyn mentioned were Martin Parr, William Eggleston, and Nan Goldin. Jocelyn explained she likes documentary-style photography of everyday life and gradually became more interested in “things that pull on your heart.”
When I asked more about her practice, Jocelyn told me she typically shoots on film with twin lenses and takes square photos. I was intrigued by her preference of using a square crop, and she explained it was a choice she’d made in college and it eliminates the decision later on of whether the photos should be oriented vertically or horizontally. She also described the reason for shooting primarily on film as partially for aesthetic reasons, but also for what she called ‘selfish reasons.’ Jocelyn explained that she tends to dislike the automaticness of digital photography. She described the experience of having distance between taking the shot and seeing the image; as well as how with film, there’s something special about being able to relive the experience of the moment from when the photograph was taken. To elaborate, Jocelyn told me that sometimes she doesn’t get the photos developed immediately, and even forgets about them for a while. Then when they eventually end up getting developed, seeing the images appear is like reliving the moment again, which is something special and unique to developing film.
Credit: Keays, Jocelyn. (Untitled) Beachwood, High River, Alberta, 2018, 120mm film, digitally scanned.
During our conversation, I brought up Instax cameras and we talked about how nice it is to be able to have a physical copy of something that’s not replicable. We laughed about how popular Instax cameras were during high school and how it seemed like almost every kid had one. Jocelyn pointed out that Instax cameras are great because they’re accessible and just a fun way to take photos on film. I agreed and we talked about how as an art student or graduate of an arts program, we tend to take our work incredibly seriously. Especially because in art school there's a certain pressure that makes you feel like every piece you create has to have meaning, so little things like Instax cameras bring in an element of lighthearted fun and remind us that creating doesn’t have to be serious 24/7.
On the subject of perfectionism, Jocelyn said this was something she worked hard to overcome in her practice. She explained that something that helped her deal with perfectionism was realizing that when we look at the work of artists we love, we don’t get to see the behind-the-scenes work. She also told me that when she was in school, one of her teachers said, “if the best thing you ever made was in school, you have a problem,” and I couldn't agree more.
When asked about the effects of COVID-19 in her practice, Jocelyn explained the pandemic had put many of her projects on pause. One project, in particular, she was in the midst of last summer, was one focused on Filipino migrants and their stories. She told me her mother is Filipino and moved here in the ’80s, so this project is something that hits close to home and is quite personal for her. The project consists of portraits and transcribed interviews, and before everything shut down, Jocelyn’s project had received lots of feedback and willing participants. Having to put everything on pause due to the lockdown had been quite discouraging, and Jocelyn told me she found it hard to find motivation. That being said, she said that later through the pandemic, she started going for walks and found more motivation. Her work became more self-reflective, and she set goals for herself and her work.
Credit: Keays, Jocelyn. Self Portrait. 2020, 120mm film, digitally scanned.
Jocelyn also told me she’d joined an art discussion critique group. She said one of her concerns in the pandemic was networking and meeting new people, so joining this group was a big part of keeping in touch with other creatives. The critique group consists of post-graduates and predominantly visual arts people, and held group critique sessions. Jocelyn explained how the group allowed her to meet with friends, and have interactions that fostered creativity. Her work featured a lot of self-portraiture, which is something she’s always been interested in, as well as self-reflection. Overall, Jocelyn said she learned a lot about herself during these times, which she described as rewarding for both herself personally and her artistic practice. She also worked through finding a way of getting over the hump of not feeling like she was capable of “creating anything great,” as well as the block of being able and ready to create but not being able to jump. In her words, “I wanna do something, but I don’t know what, so I don’t do anything.” All in all, Jocelyn summed up her practice in the pandemic as being; “at first discouraging, but it turned out okay.”
Credit: Keays, Jocelyn. (Untitled), Banff, Alberta, 2018, 120mm film, digitally scanned.
Following our discussion on post-secondary education and personal practice, I asked Jocelyn about her relationship to the Ottawa art scene. I asked because it seems as if Ottawa is often overlooked when it comes to its art scene, and Jocelyn responded that Ottawa is less populated than some of the other cities around it, so it sometimes seems like it’s a bit behind. Jocelyn talked about her own experience and explained that it seemed like there were fewer opportunities for visual artists. She said she got the sense that as a visual artist you had to create your own opportunities which is why she created OPAL.
Due to venues seeming inaccessible, Jocelyn and her close friend Alexandra Sofia Barlow co-created OPAL Magazine. OPAL is an acronym for Ottawa Photography & Art Label, and their goal was to create something that was completely barrier-free, never had a theme, was accessible for Ottawa creatives, and facilitated international connections. Alexandra and Sofia collaborated on previous projects and shared aesthetic preferences. When it came to creating OPAL, Jocelyn told me she and Alexandra were asking themselves, “what can we do when school’s over, and how can we extend it so we still have reasons and opportunities to make work beyond self-practice?” as well as, “how can we continue our community and stay in touch?” These questions combined with the seeming lack of opportunities for visual artists led to the creation of OPAL Magazine; an open-themed magazine that is completely barrier-free, costs nothing to be in, and is open to any type of visual artist.
This commitment to acceptance and openness was exactly what people were looking for, and the first edition of OPAL was a hit. There was an abundance of submissions, and Jocelyn proudly told me about the opening night, where they sold out of the first edition almost immediately. Things picked up from there, and OPAL received support from the Ottawa Art Gallery, which allowed them to have a small exhibition for their second issue. Jocelyn explained that events like opening night and exhibitions, as well as OPAL Mag itself, is about creating opportunities in her community. The events are also for friends and fellow creatives to network with people who could boost them in their careers. Another great achievement was when OPAL got their issues archived in the National Gallery. As Jocelyn said, it’s a permanent record and proof of their work, although “all artists are valuable printed or not.”
Credit: Sofia, Alexandra, Gaytan, Pablo, and Keays, Jocelyn. OPAL Issue 1 Cover. 2018, 120mm film, digitally scanned.
When I asked about how COVID-19 has affected OPAL Mag, Jocelyn told me that in May of 2020, OPAL regrettably hadn’t been able to accept submissions because funding had stopped. Jocelyn explained that she didn’t want the artists to have to pay to be in the magazine and was determined to respect OPAL’s commitment to being barrier-free. “It was a tough situation because I wasn’t sure what this break would mean for OPAL in the future,” she said, but she believed shutting down was the best thing to do while funding was pulled. Then from there, they could see what the pandemic would lead to and make decisions accordingly.
Another curveball the pandemic threw was regarding the events which were very important to OPAL and its community. Events, where folks could network, are a large part of what OPAL does, and Jocelyn found that translating that type of event into a digital landscape was a challenge. With all of this in mind, Jocelyn explained that she and the people around her thought it was best to take a break and regroup. While Jocelyn was telling me about all this, I was impressed about the decision to take a break, and I expressed how much I respected her commitment to OPAL’s mandate of being barrier-free.
Credit: Keays, Jocelyn. (Untitled), Alaskan Way, Seattle, 2018, 120mm film, digitally scanned
hat being said, OPAL is now ready to reopen and accept submissions so they can begin printing in the summer. I asked Jocelyn if she had any advice for people who were thinking of submitting their work, and she replied; “just submit what you want to submit, (...) you never know what’s going to happen!” Creatives of any discipline are encouraged to submit their work, and the process is easy and stress-free. As mentioned, it’s open in terms of theme, and submissions which are part of a series or just one-offs are all welcome. I asked what a typical submission would look like and I was told it varies from person to person. Generally, there are five to ten images in a submission, which are then compiled, and the pieces for the upcoming issue are selected over two intense days of looking over the submissions.
At the end of our chat, I thanked Jocelyn and asked her if she had anything else she’d like to add. I also offered her the opportunity to promote her own work, which took a pass on. She did say that if there’s anything she’d like to leave on, it’s that “we’re [OPAL] excited to be back and get to work.” With that, we wrapped our interview up, and I eagerly got to work on writing this article. I think there’s something so exciting about listening to someone telling their story, and hearing everything from Jocelyn’s personal experiences, to her work co-creating OPAL, and her excitement over the opening of submissions, was amazing.
So what are you waiting for? Go submit your work, and I hope to see you in the next issue of OPAL Magazine.