Raymond Grubb
(American, b. 1952)
Davidson College Class of 1974
Self Portrait with Corona turbulata chantillyiae
Archival pigment print
22 x 16 inches
Courtesy of the artist and SOCO Gallery, Charlotte, NC
Ecstasy of Tom and Wild Mustard Wrapped in Plastic
Archival pigment print
22 x 16 inches
Courtesy of the artist and SOCO Gallery, Charlotte, NC
A Shatter of Camellia Blooms Arranged Themselves over Tom’s Face
Archival pigment print
22 x 16 inches
Courtesy of the artist and SOCO Gallery, Charlotte, NC
A Phalanx of Smilax Still Allowed Raymond to Peer Through
Archival pigment print
22 x 16 inches
Courtesy of the artist and SOCO Gallery, Charlotte, NC
Self Portrait as the Immortal Amaranthus with Pleiades at his Shoulder
Archival pigment print
22 x 16 inches
Courtesy of the artist and SOCO Gallery, Charlotte, NC
Citizen of Mimosa City with Michaux’s Tree Silk
Archival pigment print
22 x 16 inches
Courtesy of the artist and SOCO Gallery, Charlotte, NC
Ampelos embraced the flesh above Tom’s Starred Cravate Au Cou
Archival pigment print
22 x 16 inches
Courtesy of the artist and SOCO Gallery, Charlotte, NC
A Maple Corpus Callosum Connected Tom’s and Raymond’s Brains
Archival pigment print
22 x 16 inches
Courtesy of the artist and SOCO Gallery, Charlotte, NC
Removing the Mask Revealed Tom’s Flower-Filled Cerebellar Sac
Archival pigment print
22 x 16 inches
Courtesy of the artist and SOCO Gallery, Charlotte, NC
During the pandemic, Raymond Grubb has turned the camera inward, focusing on self-portraits as well as portraits of his partner of thirty-five years, Tom Thoune. Their current routine includes twice daily meditations, yoga, and several-mile walks – all aimed at quieting anxiety and encouraging creativity. During his walks, Grubb gathers plants in the neighborhood around their home in Charlotte, as well as from nearby Chantilly Ecological Preserve. He then composes images of himself and Thoune, often with the blooms or leafy branches covering or interacting with their faces and bodies. Grubb likens the weaving of plant and animal forms together to the painted margins of illuminated manuscripts, similarly once produced within the confines of cloisters.
Nine images from this developing series are displayed in True Likeness. The beautiful, sometimes perplexing images of the two men provide access to the couple’s private life during a time of seclusion, mindfulness, contemplation, meditation, and repetition.
Biography
Grubb is a photographer born in Knoxville, Tennessee, and raised in the foothills of Morganton, North Carolina. He earned a degree in biochemistry from Davidson College in 1974. He then worked in the medical field for several years before becoming first a baker and later a fine art and commercial photographer. He lives and works in Charlotte, NC, where he exhibits his photographic portraits with SOCO Gallery
