Rising Stars: Meet Sloane Sinclaire

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sloane Sinclaire.

Hi Sloane, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My story begins in my childhood bedroom. I’m sixteen years old in the beginning of the Covid-19 lockdown, stringing an old white sheet across my closet doors and positioning a camera on a tripod. I started by putting myself in front of the lens. I took photography classes in high school, but something changed when the pandemic hit – photography became my method of coping. I was still closeted in March of 2020, in deep denial of my trans identity, which was beginning to bubble up to the surface in a way that I could no longer ignore. So, I started to examine myself by experimenting with gender performance in front of the camera in a makeshift bedroom studio. It was through the photographic lens that I was able to see myself for the first time.

I was encouraged by my high school photo teacher to submit to contests. My photographs were recognized multiple times in the Peninsula Photo Contest in partnership with the Palo Alto Weekly. I won the abstract category for my photograph, “Unfold,” in 2020 and won Best in Show the following year for my photograph, “Six Months.” “Six Months” was on the cover of my local newspaper – which effectively served as my coming out to my entire community.

The validation I got from seeing my photographs shown publicly and the support from my high school teachers, Marie Jose Durquet and Barbara Boissevain, gave me the confidence to apply to art school. I decided this kind of late, though, in the Winter of 2021, when college application season was practically over. It was also a complete 180-degree turnaround for me. Before this realization, I thought I was going to be playing competitive softball in college. But, when I realized I wasn’t a girl, women’s sports no longer felt like where I belonged.

I ended up picking Calarts, one of the two art schools that I was able to apply to. I’m grateful every day for making that decision because there’s no place I’d rather be. I took the opportunity to be myself there for the first time in my entire life, so my connection to the school and the people there runs deep.

I got recognized in a big way during my second semester at Calarts when I won the Getty Unshuttered Teen Photography Contest for my photograph, “Reconnecting with the Boy I Was Meant to Be,” which was on display in the Getty for six months. It was absolutely a dream come true and another moment that gave me confidence in my ability to make photographs that speak to people. It was very surreal and a huge accomplishment that my friends often remind me of whenever I get down on myself 🙂

These have been the highlights of the past five years and are some of the moments that I’m most proud of, that have given me the confidence to present myself as an artist. I’m returning to Calarts in January for my sixth semester, having just put on my first solo show there in November. It’s been great to have this opportunity to reflect on how I got to this point. It hasn’t been easy, but I’m so proud of myself for what I have accomplished.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Photography has saved my life more than once. I’m very open about living with depression and my experience with suicidal ideation. It’s actually something that I’ve been discussing in my work, frankly, since I started – without even knowing it. This year, I survived a pretty severe suicidal episode, and my main method of coping in its aftermath was my photographic art practice. It became the focal point of my first solo show at Calarts, Dear, a collection of 16×20 black and white and color photographs that honor my experience with suicidal depression as well as the people that helped me survive just by being present in my life. As an out queer trans masculine person, photographing is what keeps me alive and grounded in my own sense of truth. Nearly half of trans and nonbinary youth have considered suicide, according to the Trevor Project. I am part of this statistic, and it is my artistic practice that helps me to cope, understand my own experience and make it accessible for those who need to know they are not alone. Dedicated to those who have loved me, past and present, Dear was also for all the queer and trans youth who continue to survive.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I specialize in analog black and white photography – I’m known to be in the Calarts darkroom printing whenever I can. I think what sets me apart from others is my willingness to examine my own life in my art practice. It takes a lot of courage and self-awareness to do that, and I work very hard to maintain those qualities within myself. I don’t think it’s something that everyone can do or even wants to do, but for me, there really is no other way to live. Sharing my experience through art feels incredibly urgent because I know there are other people like me out there trying to cope with the same realities, and I just want them to feel seen.

Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
– Storygraph (app) – it keeps me reading. I can set reading goals for myself, keep track of what I want to read, and track my progress in the books I’ve started! – Todoist is a list-making app that helps me manage my daily tasks and organize my life!

– Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg – I haven’t finished it yet, but I read it whenever I want to feel more connected to queer history or whenever I need a good cry.

– Ghost Image by Hervé Guibert – one of the best books I’ve ever read on photography. I find myself returning to it whenever I feel lost.

Contact Info:

• Website: sloanesinclairephotography.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sloanesinclairephoto/

Image Credits
Rafael Hernandez (personal photo), Sloane Sinclaire (every other photo)