Gayle Brooker
statement
Over the years the theme of home has played an important roll in my work. Home is where we feel the most at ease and most likely to reveal our truest self. It is filled with complex emotions yet it can be a grounding force. Like myself, each one of my models finds their home in the Charleston area and so I chose this location as the constant for this series.
As a photographer I collaborate with my subjects to draw out specific aspects of their personalities and reveal certain truths about who they are as a person. Whether it’s in a full body grin, a serious gaze, or a slightly awkward pose, the unique characteristics of my subjects emerge in these ten portraits.
While the backgrounds in these portraits are simple they play an important roll in the description of the sitter. Each photograph was taken either in or nearby the sitter’s home or place of work. The familiarity of the chosen settings encourage a relaxed sensibility in these portraits and compliment the models’ true nature.
bio
Gayle Brooker, originally of Greenville, SC, received a BA from the College of Charleston in 1999 where she double majored in Studio Art and Spanish. She subsequently studied for a year at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and completed her M.F.A. in Photography from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in 2002. Following graduation, in the fall of 2002, Brooker accepted a teaching position at the College of Charleston and went on to be the sabbatical replacement for the Head of the Photography program for the 2003-04 school year. For the past three years, she has spent her time working as a photographer’s assistant in New York City under the direction of James Baigrie, Dana Gallagher, and Mathew Hranek. While assisting she continued to photograph for weddings and editorials. Her work has appeared in the editorial publications of Victoria Magazine, InStyle Weddings, Modern Bride, Brides New York and Brides New Jersey. Brooker recently relocated back to her roots in Charleston, SC and continues to work as a freelance photographer.
