BIO:
Porter Gifford is a photographer with a background in photojournalism. After graduating from college, he spent 15 years with the Gamma Photo Agency documenting U.S. and world events for publications such as Time, Newsweek, and The New York Times. He has more recently worked as an independent photographer with companies, schools, and universities throughout New England. In addition to this ongoing commercial work, Porter uses personal projects to further investigate elements of the human experience by deconstructing and reordering its various and compelling components.
STATEMENT:
The official term for dog shows is “conformation.” When handlers, breeders, and owners gather to determine which dogs best conform to breed standards, they create temporary communities with their own codes of dress, behavior, and belonging. This project explores how conformity operates on multiple levels at these shows – in the dogs being judged, in the people who show them, and in the subculture they form.
