Gene Dominique
Gene Dominique
About:
Ancestral Shadows Artist’s Statement
Ancestral Shadows I, II and III are part of a series I created as an homage to the collections of the now-closed Dapper Museum in Paris where figurative art carvings of the Dogon people from Burkina Faso and Mali in West Africa were exhibited. The Dapper was a special place in Paris for us.
When we learned of the impending closure of the museum, we visited one last time in the summer of 2017. Creating memories of the Dapper and its exhibitions by directly photographing the artwork felt uninspired and inappropriate. I decided to capture the essence of the work by photographing shadows they cast upon the walls and floors of the space. Using shadows as the main subjects, I created unique images that interpret the essence of Musée Dapper and the Dogon collection.
Biography
Gene Dominique lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. Gene’s explorations in photography include a deep dive into a variety of genres including documentary, abstract, still-life and portraiture. He has exhibited around the Bay Area and internationally. His current work includes the long-term documentary series called Still Here – African American Farmers in the 21st Century, which is a study of the contemporary life of Black farmers.
Volunteerism is an important part of Gene’s art practice. In 2016 he founded CameraAngels, a donation program that solicits used cameras and related gear for young people in the Bay Area. Gene serves on the board of directors of San Francisco Camerawork.
Gene says he frequently returns to a quote by the photojournalist Gordon Parks for inspiration: “You know, the camera is not meant just to show misery.”
Website: www.genedominiquephotography.com
More info: Gene Dominique is a photographer and master printer. All of his original works are created in editions of five. For more information, commissions and purchases contact Mr. Dominique at GeneDominiquePhotography@gmail.com.
