Shadow Portraits
Susan kae Grant’s Shadow Portraits transcend time, age and fashion while harkening back to the history of photography. Her unique style of portraiture is reminiscent of traditional silhouette likenesses of the late 18th century yet captures an evocative romanticism that emanates a contemporary ambiance. The formal execution can be traced back stylistically to her fascination of using shadows as a metaphor in the Night Journey project.

Grant’s “Shadow Portraits” originated as a collection of images created for Conduit Gallery’s 20th anniversary collaborative exhibition and subsequent artists’ book Shadowed Memory. The work marks the beginning of Grant accepting private portrait commissions in her Dallas studio.

Portraits of Niki and David (above) appeared in TIME magazine and TIME Lightbox in "How the Past Shapes Modern Photography" as part of a special series selected by Deborah Willis, Chair of photography and imaging at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. The feature "explores the way modern photographers use themes of memory and history.” (October 2014, p8)

For each portrait, Grant creates a custom-built backdrop of shadows assembled from an assortment of found objects and fabrics chosen specifically to evoke the quintessential personality--the essence--of the person portrayed. Once the backgrounds are finished the actual portraits are created live on the shadowed set within the studio.

The images in the “Shadow Portrait” series are printed as 20”x25” archival pigment prints on Hahnemüle 308 Rag paper. Each print has a hand-torn white border with a de-bossed signature stamp on front and labeled and hand-signed en verso.

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Contact the artist directly
Susan kae Grant, Dallas, Texas
susan@susankaegrant.com