Olivia Slaughter (she/they) is a self-taught photographer whose approach is deeply rooted in empowerment, providing individuals with a platform to express themselves authentically and assert agency over their own narratives. With their camera, they capture the essence of each person in a way that honors their unique stories and experiences. Their residency in January 2024 provided time and space to work and to study Isabella Stewart Gardner's approach to storytelling - both in the way Gardner arranged the galleries and how her public persona helped shape the museum’s identity and mystique.
Slaughter met staff from many departments at the Museum, including Conservation, Archives, Curatorial, and Horticulture. This gave the artist multiple perspectives into individual artworks, Gardner's own installation practice, and the behind-the-scenes life at the Museum. One of the highlights was visiting the off-sight greenhouses where they learned about plant cultivation and care, as well as the important role horticulture played in Gardner’s time and still plays today.
In the Museum galleries, Slaughter appreciated the interplay of light and space, and were captivated by the subtle transformations that occurred as the light shifted and unveiled different artworks while seeing artworks at night during the flashlight tour gave them another entry into the Collection, amplyfing details often difficult to see. Slaughter dedicated many morings to their residency to immersing themselves in the different environments of the Musuem. During one of their walks, they took advantage of the off-hours access to lie on the floor underneath Veronese's large ceiling painting, The Coronation of Hebe, 1580-1589 in the Veronese Room. Slaughter also studied the Thomas Marr & Son photography collection which documented the changes Gardner made as she rearranged objects, artwork, and furniture throughout her galleries.
On another morning spent wandering through the Museum, Slaughter encountered Howard Cushing with Grape Leaves in His Hair, [d'après l'antique], 1885 by Minna Chapman in the Vatichino and was very moved by the image. They were able to see the original photograph in the archives, as the photo has been taken off view for preservation. They also looked at personal snapshots of Isabella and her friends in Venice as well as some of Gardner’s travel albums. They read correspondence and notes Willard T. Sears wrote about drawing up the plans for Fenway Court. Other materials on the construction and installation included collection catalogs Gardner published over the years, a list of artworks and notes she made about the arrangement of the Gothic Room in 1900 and a recently rediscovered sketch Gardner made outlining changes to the Dutch Room and Short Gallery in 1914.
During their residency, Slaughter continued to conceptualize and produce a series of photographic portraits. They invited members of their found family to take part in a photoshoot in the residency apartment. Later, Slaughter transformed the images by changing the contrast, capturing the essence of the sitters in rich blacks and bright whites. The works brings to mind the cut-paper cameo profiles that were popular in the early 1800s which were often created as mementos or tokens of affection. Slaughter’s portraits celebrate the light and darkness that we all embody and the individuals who accept both parts of themselves. Six of the works will be shown in Portraits From Boston, With Love, an exhibition in the Fenway Gallery May 13 - September 8, 2024 featuring three Boston-based photographers.
Collaborations
Olivia Slaughter (b. 1993, USA) is a Virginia-born, New Jersey-raised, Boston-based artist. Slaughter’s work is a vibrant exploration of light, movement, and color, capturing today’s living history. Their work has been featured in Vogue Italia, Time Magazine, and the Boston Art Review. Recognized for their commitment to racial justice, Slaughter received an honorarium from the Harvard University Committee on the Arts. A fixture in Boston's artistic community, they served as the artist-in-residence at Harvard Art Lab and Windy Films. They have also shown work in collaboration with the ICA Boston and Virgil Abloh. In 2022 Slaughter collaborated with the Gardner Museum and Arielle Grey on the Future Archive Project. The project, created in conjunction with an exhibition of works by Zanele Muholi, documented five Black queer and trans people, living, working, or creating in Boston through interviews and photography.
Beyond photography, Olivia actively seeks collaborations with artists of color and all gender identities and gender experiences. Their impactful contributions extend to projects with Hilary Hahn, Ayanna Pressley, The Boston Globe, and as creative director for WBUR's Sound On Series. In February 2024 they were tapped for the position of Creative Director + Curator at Black Market, Nubian Square.