Charles Ford
Street Photos 80s-90s
Curated by Teona Gogichaishvili
My passion lies in finding often unrecognized moments of everyday life, from the mundane to the humorous. I am fascinated by human interactions and how they relate to their surroundings. These visual narratives of amusement, occasional alarm, and poignant reflection, are everywhere, happening continuously and occur simultaneously. I seek to capture those fleeting moments of humanity, moments that exist and then fade away.
Charles Ford, raised in Houston, Texas, earned a BBA from The
University of Texas at Austin. During his junior year, Charles seized the
opportunity to travel to Bolivia, photographing the work of a student medical
group. Post-graduation, based on the strength of his work in Bolivia, he was
accepted to ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, California where he earned
a BFA. Charles moved to Dallas, Texas in 1980 where he shot fashion and
portrait photography.
In 1981, he was invited to teach photography at The University of Texas at Austin. Following two semesters teaching at UT, he relocated to New York, where he continued shooting editorial fashion and portrait photography for magazines such as Vogue, GQ, and Rolling Stone. With his Leica in hand, Charles also passionately explored street photography, a pursuit he continues today.
After over a decade in New York City and the birth of his
daughter, Charles returned to Texas in 1992 where he continued shooting fashion
and portraits. Fast forward to 2023 when Charles revisited the contact sheets
of his street work from the 80’s and early 90’s, rediscovering images that had
been stored away for years. He began printing and sharing these captures of the
past on his website, Instagram and exhibitions. Charles Ford's work, present
and past, is all shot on film.