Artist: Shawn Vinson

Medium: Photograph on plexiglass

Size: 16" x 20"

Artist Bio:

Shawn Vinson has been an avid photographer since getting a Polaroid OneStep camera for his eighth birthday in 1977, a camera that he still owns to this day. In high school, his Graphic Arts teacher introduced him to 35mm film photography and the magic of the darkroom. He bought his teacher's old Nikkormat camera and began photographing local bands and aspiring models, winning a Scholastic Arts Award in Photography his senior year. In 1991, he serendipitously got a job working for a Florida-based art dealer, where he started out doing deliveries & installations. After a few short years, he was promoted to Southeast sales rep, covering six states. That's when Vinson's art education began and he has had the good fortune of getting to know many talented & interesting artists & photographers along the way, even marrying one of them! Vinson opened Decatur's first contemporary art gallery on the Square in 1998 and, since that time, has focused most of his energy on promoting his eclectic roster of artists. He met the late Atlanta photographer, Marvin Rhodes, in 1999 and presented a one-man show for him the following year. Rhodes became a mentor and a friend, introducing Shawn to medium-format film photography and the wonderful plastic Holga camera. Sadly, Rhodes passed away in 2017, but his memory lives on. Currently at Different Trains Gallery, where Vinson is a partner & director, they are presenting the retrospective exhibition 'Remember Marvin Rhodes'. Vinson has always continued making photographs, both film & digital, mostly for the pure joy of it. He occasionally does commissioned work and has exhibited his prints in Atlanta Photography Group Gallery shows such as 'Fay Gold Selects' and 'Director's Cut'.