We had the good fortune of connecting with Jessica Goh and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jessica, what are you inspired by?
I’m inspired by my environment. Here in LA, I’m fascinated by the patterns of splatters on asphalt, the way that buildings sit in dialogue each other, the sounds of people chattering on the bus. I’ve been trying to make sense of this city as a pedestrian; the book Sidewalking by David Ulin, which I recently finished, really helped me to wrap my head around it.

Lately I’ve also been enjoying black and white film photography. I caught a retrospective of Judith Joy Ross at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and was moved by the piercing, distilled quality of her pictures. Wim Wenders’ most recent movie, Perfect Days, has also been lodged my mind since I saw it earlier this year.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Can I still call myself an artist if I haven’t produced work in a year? I think I’m doing this interview to prove to myself that I can.

I’m an artist whose medium of choice is animated filmmaking. I grew up in Singapore, and came to Los Angeles in 2018 to pursue a BFA in Experimental Animation from CalArts. Thematically, my interests have always orbited around the minutae of family life; my works tend to glide placidly, close to the ground, as if through the eyes of a very docile 6 year old. My last work was Devotions, an animated short film created as part of my thesis project for school. I think it’s a pretty accurate reflection of the themes that I’m interested in; exploring the intersection of personal history and mythology, told with a lot of sincerity.

When the pandemic hit, I took a leave of absence from school and worked professionally in animation for a couple years, both as an in-studio animator and as a freelancer. It was good work; I was very lucky in getting projects I was genuinely interested in, felt appropriately challenged by, and was also given practically free rein to achieve my own artistic vision. But I still came out of it feeling drained. I began taking a lot more teaching positions in 2022. Education is a field I deeply enjoy being involved in — it really feels like my calling, which is a precious feeling to have. My art practice is now intertwined with, deeply informed by, my work as an art instructor.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m an extremely meticulous planner so it’s hard for me to not go all out on this question with a step-by-step itinerary! As a pretty recent LA transplant who doesn’t drive, I still don’t know much of the city outside of the few neighbourhoods I frequent for their walkability… So here’s a three day tour of my favourite spots:

Breakfast at Cafe Nido in Silverlake. We can slowly amble up north on the walk by the LA river, then do one of the easier hikes in Griffith Park, where we can have an afternoon nap too before heading back south to Los Feliz for dinner at Tacos Tu Madres. It’d be fun to catch a screening or show at one of the venues in this part of town too.

A day in Echo Park; Lunch at Bodega Park, an afternoon hike through Elysian Park, then a slightly indulgent dinner at arcade bar Button Mash at Echo Park, where the Poltergeist kitchen presents one of the most inspired menus I’ve tried in LA so far, and we can play around with the arcade machines after the meal.

Maybe another day in Fairfax; catch a matinee screening at the Academy Museum, walk around LACMA and the tar pits, dinner at BADMAASH and a little supper treat at Canter’s.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My family has supported me every step of the way since I decided I wanted to pursue a life in the arts – both my immediate and my extended family – and that’s a privilege I will always be grateful for. I wouldn’t be here without them. I’ve been feeling this very strongly since I visited home this past April, and really got to be with my extended family for the first time in a while. It surprised me, remembering and receiving their love, that has persisted despite my absence.

Website: https://jessgoh.cargo.site

Instagram: @j_gohome

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessgoh-jessgoh/

Image Credits
Documentation of Jess Goh’s Show (2023) by Yoo Jung Hong.

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