LGBTQ of Steel Photographer Jan Dee Gordon

Name: Jan Dee Gordon

Birth Place:  Los Angeles

Occupation:  PHOTOGRAPHER

Congratulations on your new book, LGBTQ of Steel – a compilation of striking portraits and personal profiles that captures the energy, optimism, and resiliency of fifty LGBTQ heroes.  

Can you tell us about LGBTQ of steel? and how it got started?

 My work with people and steel comes from my soul.  It has always been a struggle to maintain and know ‘who I am.’  I , for years, was totally concerned with pleasing others and not making anyone angry.  As I matured and saw my own photography I realized my struggle to just be myself..  My different projects have included carrying a mannequin head around Paris and photographing it in different situations, painting a model’s body with acrylic paint and contrasting her to wood and steel, making collages from real photos and mannequins and bodies and photographing the collage. These have led to more recent projects combining living elements such as flowers and branches with steel- the steel always representing reality and life- tough but bendable.  I was always covering up the woman or using a fake woman.  Following , I used living examples but not real people.  Obviously I was getting closer to developing my own strength to express who I am. A mentor finally said to me-“Why don’t you get to your reality and use a woman.” My artwork pieces now involve nude women with steel.  In the book, Women of Steel,  we can understand how these 20 successful women used their inner strength to overcome the obstacles and hardships in each of their lives and to then lead a life of their choice.  They are real examples of the theme of my work.Each reacted to the piece of steel in the photograph as she reacted to dealing with herparticular difficulties. The idea for the new book, LGBTQ of Steel was born because my brother, Ben, who was an early victim of HIV.  He died from complications of the disease at 48 years old.He was President of a bank and had a PHD but had no idea how one got HIV.He led a double life until he became ill when he had to open up to all of us.  He left a 14 year old daughter who is now in this book as is her partner. 

 What influenced you to publish the book?

 The fact that my brother died of AIDS and that this community is a poignant example of the theme I have been describing in all my artwork-  how an individual can gather his or her inner strength to overcome obstacles of life analogized by the steel – and change his or her life into one that is true to his or her desires and identity. 

 Are there any pictures that are featured that bring a special meaning to you and/ or to the gay community?  

Certain stories (all in their own words) stay in your mind always, for example, Calpurnia’s photo and story.

 What are the biggest challenges in publishing a book? 
Getting the subjects to calendar a good date for a shoot, because they have such busy schedules The expenses involved when you want the best paper, etc, for the photographs to be excellent quality.

The last book I read was ….  

I read fiction all the time-  best sellers, good writers 

 Nobody knows that I ……. 

suffer from panic attacks-  that I really have to gather that inner strength to deal with difficulties in life.

 What’s your favorite place in the entire world?  

Africa was my favorite place to visit-  the visual beauty of the surroundings and the animals running free. Then Paris, which has been our second home for many years. 

 What’s the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done?
Getting on a barge on the Seine in France without knowing where it was going with the purpose of photographing whatever I found to be interesting.  Also just getting on the Metro in Paris and getting off anywhere strange to do the same thing.

What odd talent do you have?  Math-  numbers just do their thing in my mind.

 What had been your biggest setback or failure in life and how did you overcome it? 

I would have loved to have been a doctor or an architect, but it wasn’t something that came naturally to mind for my generation as a woman.  I overcame it by choosing the profession of photography.  I’ve experienced many sides of commercial photography and art photography, which has led to these 2 books- Women of Steel and KGBTQ of Steel.   

 If I could meet my younger self, I would tell him…. 

Choose a profession that you love and go to school to learn the whole scope of that profession.-  Do what heart tells you to do. 

 What would you like to say to the Gay Life after 40 tribe?  

 Be yourself, enjoy your life, fight for the rights of others, help young people to face their true identity with less angst.

 Where can our readers find you or know more about you?Facebook:  humanityofsteel, Instagram is @humanityofsteel,  www.humanityofsteel.com, www.jandeegordonphotography.com

Show original Books can be purchased on www.humanityofsteel.com