Vera Jörgensen “getting over my good girl complex”

Vera Jörgensen a young mind and a fascinating photographer.

We had a brief chat with Vera so she could explain for us about her beautiful work.

See more images from Vera here!

How did you first get interested in photography?

To be honest, I’m still quite a rookie with the camera. I studied textiles, fine art and a little bit of graphic design before i got in to photography. It was really just a hobby until I jumped on a one year program at the photo school in Gamleby last year.

What do you feel is the function of photography?

For me, photography is a tool to tie my work together. I’ve always been very creative and wanted to do everything at once, which made me feel pretty lost cus I had a hard time making a choice between the art forms. I’m not a big fan of repetition either, but there I realized that photography allows me to do everything I want to, it keeps me grounded, like I have a place to return. In every project, I do things that I have never done before, which really is necessary to keep me going, and then the camera is like the glue putting the pieces in place.

Do you always have a purpose, an idea or a project in mind when you shoot?

It differs a lot. Sometimes I can plan an entire project in five minutes and then spend months finishing it. But in between those bigger projects it’s just like my work is a conversation with my self. I go thrift shopping, collect materials and items that i find interesting and take some photos until I figure something out.

What do you look for when you take a picture?

Something hard to define. Also, I want my work to feel like femininity concentrated into this highly addictive love potion… that gives really bad hangovers. Cus I mean, in one way, thats basically what it does to you. Or the idea of it.

What kind of impact do you hope to have with your images?

I try not to overthink it, it’s so easy to get stuck as an artist when you feel that your work has to make this great impact on society. But I’m working really hard on getting over my good girl complex, and if that can be seen through my art then maybe some other girl will too.

Is there something that makes you uncomfortable taking a picture? Do you have any boundaries?

Always! I am a very self conscious person, but that plays a big part in what I do. As much as I want to critique norms and social structures, I deal with my own fears and anxieties too. It’s not just me pointing out issues but more of me working on my self growth, and understanding myself in relationship to other people. Then of course, every time someone tells me that my work changed the way they feel about themselves or the way they think of others, that means the world to me.

What are you currently working on?

I finished my year in Gamleby last week, also exhibited with my classmates at Galleri Axel as a last project, which turned out really good. Now, I’m back in Stockholm for the summer and haven’t really had time to start up any new projects yet, but I just bought a Pentax 645 that I’m really exited about trying.

What are your goals?

Well, I got accepted to the bachelor program of fine art photography at Valand Academy, so that’s a pretty big deal for me!