She Called Me By Name

A continuation of John Gossage’s project of the same name, which photographs young artists during their secondary education – a period of optimism and ignorance before the realities of an artistic life have fully taken shape. My continuation shifts the focus to students in post-secondary art institutions, where the optimism and ignorance of youth give way to a more complicated understanding of the world they are entering.

These students are confronted with the economic, social, and political systems and conditions that shape the world – knowledge that makes the once simple decision of becoming an artist increasingly nuanced and complicated. The series considers this moment of reckoning: whether, knowing the sacrifices, instability, and limitations of an artistic life, they are still willing to dedicate themselves to art in the hope of creating meaningful dialogue and contributing to social change. Where Gossage captures the blissful ignorance of young artists eager to create, this series examines what remains when that veil of ignorance is lifted.