ARTIST BIO
Grace Gordon (b. 2002 in Florida) is a multimedia artist whose primary focus is on photography. Her work delves into self expression, the exploration of the depths of the mind and the examination of societal constructs that surround us. She has crafted a diverse collection of works that includes hand-sewn sculptures, traditional paper pencil works, as well as a blend of real life and figurative painting. Gordon’s work has been featured in exhibitions including a noteworthy first-place win on a town level for a pen and paper piece at the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Spring Grove, Pennsylvania. Her private art gallery titled “The Gordon Gallery” is situated within her home in south central Pennsylvania and showcases an array of her work including still life, master copy and self portrait paintings, along with a selection of her printed photographs and various crafts. Her work was also published in Diverse World Fashion magazine in December of 2023 in their 27th issue, one of her images chosen for the cover. At present, Grace Gordon is accepting commission work as she acquires experience from her studies. She is currently working towards a Bachelor of Arts degree in Studio Art at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida.
ARTIST STATEMENT
My love for photography began with an eye for the beauty around us. Over the years, I discovered studio photography and learned how to change my surroundings and experiment with different techniques. My gallery consisted of close ups of grasshoppers or beaded water on spider webs. It grew when I received my first camera as a Christmas gift and took my first photography class in high school. Choosing art as my major, while I show proficiency in various other art forms, I found myself naturally drawn back to photography. Photography has documented my process of figuring myself out, a visual diary of self-discovery that I am inviting others to witness. I capture the human experience in my photos, incorporating some moments that are well thought out and particularly set up, while others lean into spontaneity. I am an experimental photographer, exploring various paths. The products of both express ideas that reflect parts of my life. I hope my audience pulls from it an emotional experience they can connect to.
As a directorial photographer, I am like a storyteller with a camera. I do not just take pictures, I capture a scene I created to tell a specific story or convey certain feelings. My versatile work has come from the experience of using a variety of materials, like strobe and spot lights, reflectors, various backdrops and more, as well as incorporating Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop in recent years. Learning to be a director with a camera means understanding how to use these different things– the location, the lighting, what's in the picture– to make the image what I want. I am also an editorial photographer. While new, it is a part of my continuous learning. It is quite similar to directorial, but has allowed me to be more collaborative. I have immersed myself into the world of fashion while still being presented with a concept to follow. I engage with models, stylists, makeup artists and directors to help craft a visual narrative that can be published.