Today we’d like to introduce you to Grace Lawson.
Hi Grace, 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 backstories with our readers.
I’m a graduate student currently attending SCAD and working towards my Master of Fine Art in Photography. This is my second year in Savannah. Previously, I attended the University of Houston in Texas, where I got my bachelor’s degree in photography as well. While I lived in Houston, I worked as a gallery assistant in a fine art gallery where I mostly handled the digital aspects of running an art space. It was with the encouragement of both my undergraduate professors and my boss that I began to look into graduate school, and they all pushed me in the direction of SCAD and Savannah.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There’s definitely been struggles along the way. Photography wasn’t even on my radar when I began college. I was a history major. I switched early on, and there were times I wanted to switch out. Moving to a new city in a new state entirely on my own was also incredibly challenging, but I had told myself I wasn’t allowed to give up within the first year. I’m glad I set that goal of making it through the first year before making any big decisions. I love where I am in life now, but there was definitely a difficult adjustment period.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
As a photographer, I utilize my six years as a professional performing artist to create dynamic self-portraits as a means to express identity and self-discover. I aim to combine queer themes with the performative aspect of self-portraiture, creating an intimate relationship between subject and lens through deliberate use of body language and form. In this way, my body becomes a tool that is just as important to the intention of my art as the camera.
My current body of work combines self-portraits with historic archives using physical collages. Every image is composed of a single self-portrait embedded with a single appropriated artwork of any medium. Every artwork I appropriate is made by a sapphic artist and references their attraction towards other women. By imbedding the historic pieces into my own skin, half covering them and half taking away pieces of myself, I replicate the delicate balance between what came before and how it shapes the current day. By making the pieces physically, I create a layer of dimensionality that highlights the connection between myself and these archives as a labor of love. It becomes a symbiotic relationship, as I am influenced by the work and artists who came before me; I am also able to carry their legacy forward with me.
We love surprises, fun facts, and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
While my artwork may seem methodical and planned down to every detail, I almost never begin an image with a picture already present in my head. Every piece I create begins with a vague idea, a concept that I want to try reaching for, and I let the artwork form organically from there. Sometimes I end up with something similar to my initial idea, and sometimes I create something I never could have imagined. I’m always open to experimentation and adapting my strategy with image making. I find this approach helps my work breathe and allows the concept to become more fluid and tangible to all viewers rather than forcing it into a box.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lawsonimages.net/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawsonimagery/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/grace.lawson.10
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gracelawson/
Image Credits
Savannah Knight
Barry HsingChia Hseih
