Courtney Garvin

Courtney Garvin is a visual artist who was born in South Carolina and raised in New York. A sarcastic over thinker who loves 90’s R&B and breaking the ice with baked goods, she loves to analyze situations and highlight the details. Garvin graduated from Syracuse University with a B.S. in Communications & Rhetorical Studies and a minor in Photography. She uses visual art as a tool for storytelling, discussion, and as a second memory. Garvin is interested in the ways that written, audio, and visual components can create an environment and challenge relationships. She is also interested in the ways that Blackness has been portrayed and the effects it has on individuals, groups, and communities.

“In These Clasped Hands”

The project originally started as a series of portraits of my family members in South Carolina. However, after the Mother Emanuel AME Church massacre, the effects of loss could be felt throughout the state. In the weeks following the shootings, several Black churches throughout the south were burned and the continuous killings of unarmed Black women, men, and children were readily streamed online. These experiences, tensions over the confederate flag, and a racist encounter on a secluded dirt road caused me to shift the focus of my photos and look at generational experiences, community, and several aspects of the multifaceted Black life.

To view more of Courtney’s work please visit her website.