Conceptual nominee

The All That Glitters series aestheticizes the falling short of the commercialised fantasy. The pursuit of advertised perfection, lifestyles and possessions.
Today the pursuit of money is almost directly linked to the pursuit of happiness. Money can give us freedom and possessions; we may make career decisions based on our socialized view of success. Affording us the possessions, rather than jobs that will make us truly satisfied and happy. Yet the happiness afforded by possessions will only bring short lived moments of pleasure. If we are unfulfilled by our jobs, every week waiting for the Friday feeling, are we really successful or free?
I wanted the series to project the feeling of being trapped in a depressing cycle, equating glittering possessions with happiness but only ever getting short lived satisfaction that will need constant feeding. The Friday feeling will never be enough.

It was whilst studying photography at the University of Wolverhampton in the UK that Gary found his passion for conceptual photography. His work draws on personal experience and his natural inquisitiveness in human behavior.
He constructs (often building sets in his studio) a series of work from a concept, or he will see images in everyday life that speaks volumes to him. Whichever method of construction he uses, he intends the images to be multi-layered and engage the viewer thoughtfully and aesthetically. His work is vibrant, beautiful and seductive, with a vein of humor that runs through its body, just as life should be, yet life is not always a bed of roses and Gary’s work often breaks down the façade to reveal…