Hey Greg!...
Family Album
web edition
2014-2017
Here is the family album
I wanted to give you
Because Art is also referential, a gift and a gesture.
CAPTURING THE SOUL
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In 2014 I started to take portraits of friends and acquaintances to make a conceptual piece about ( and for ) a pen-pal on death-row in Arizona,USA. A gay man who I befriend in 2006 and corresponded with for years. He felt comfortable talking about his sexuality and curious about mine . After the death of his mother. The only relative who remained in contact with him, he showed signs of deep depression and loneliness and with that I decided to create a family album for him.
During 2016 I published an edition of 50 album. Dear Gregory- Family Portrait Album.
He died during the making of the production of the magazine. I lost a bit of thread of what I wanted to accomplish with this work. The previous publication turned into a mourning statement. And lost it's contextual format.
What this work has always been about is to create an instant family for a man in dire straights. Combine the documentary side of photographic albums with a visual story, without loosing the underlined references inherited in creating a conceptual piece about a real circumstance. My aim was to make a light hearted comment about empathy, friendship and visual dichotomies. To give hope to someone who was loosing (and lost) his.
This web page is a revised publication of "the family album" . With a collection of witty, self revealing, queered portraits of a contextual imaginary family album .
This is Chris
Sometimes Chris is Bruno
Mario is a ceramics artist
Kirsty is a revolutionary
Here are some more friends
And a few more
To be continued
About
Mars Gomes is a London based confessional/conceptual artist who specializes in capturing the deep muddy waters of the soul in all of us. In a style that is modern yet timeless, interesting and vibrant, with a focus on exhilarating moments and pure fun and raw introspection. When she works in portraiture, Gomes visual skill and textual knowledge ensures that the idea you have of yourself isn't what you thought it was. Her cunning way of capturing you in an unexpected moment always fascinating and although you might think twice in placing it on your social media. You want to own her work. It's unique photographic composition and emotional depth are simply majestic. For a comprehensive look at some of her photography press the button above.
If you want to own a Mars Gomes portrait contact her for more details.
Publications
2015-2017
Average Art Magazine
January, March, June 2017
December,2016
Dear Gregory- Family Portrait Album 2014- 2016
Self Publication/ edition of 50
New Directions #1
100 most inspiring international artists, Exhibooks Publishers,UK
365 Artists| 365 Days
Blog Interview
A Frank Juarez Gallery
and Greymatter Gallery collaboration project
http://365artists365days.com/2015/07/18/mars-gomes-london-united-kingdom/
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Recent Exhibitions
2017- 2018
Exhibitions
Wimmin
Group show
With Henrietta Armstrong, Louise Bourgeois, Michelle Enright, Ute Essig, Mars Gomes, Carol Halford, Kirsty Harris and Juliet Jacques
@ Clapham House, Londo, UK
ComeSee
Instalation and photography
@ Clapham House, London UK
Group Show
Pop Prints Zine Show
The Elephant, London UK
Inland #2 Neither
Inland Project: A portable guerilla exhibition in Zine format
Uk and Brasil
http://www.inlandproject.co.uk
Transgender, Gender & Psyshoanalysis
Contemporary Psychoanalysis Conference,
Site Fringe, London, UK
Nasty Women, Knockdown Centre, NYC, USA
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