The Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation presents ‘Reality Reframed: Recent Works’, by Todd Gray, on display until April 13th.
Todd Gray, born in 1954 in Los Angeles, is a photographer who challenges and undermines established beliefs about photography’s truthfulness. He splits his time between Los Angeles and Akwidaa, Ghana, and earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Fine Arts degrees from the California Institute of the Arts.
‘Reality Reframed: Recent Works by Todd Gray’ features his latest photo assemblages from his extensive photographic archive. Gray challenges traditional photography norms by disrupting image dominance and conventional narrative frameworks. His unique approach combines formal and metaphorical techniques, using frames of various shapes, sizes, and historical contexts.
His creations often juxtapose the allure of beauty with the somber narratives of global colonial oppression, human trafficking, and ideological distortions that facilitated the Old World’s aesthetic accomplishments at the expense of the New. Gray emphasizes the ongoing efforts to rectify, explore, and reinterpret the Western imposition on various cultures and religions.
His assemblages, known as “photo-sculptures,” weave together postcolonial stories that are both historical and political while maintaining a lyrical essence. Each work is the result of Gray’s commitment to a versatile, evolving conceptual framework that underpins his artistic practice.
The Foundation promotes art as a key to community development and civic engagement, aiming to make it accessible to underserved communities through interdisciplinary projects and funding initiatives. It also provides cultural opportunities to underserved New York City organizations.
Source: The 8th Floor
