Artist Statement
My specialization is Literary Photography—the exploration of the human experience through visual storytelling. I use the camera not to document facts, but to give voice to meaningful ideas, drawing deeply from the humanist tradition of masters like Eugène Atget, Walker Evans and Henri Cartier-Bresson and the literary tradition of John Steinbeck, James Baldwin and Charles Bukowski.
Literature, it is said, does not just mark or pass time for its reader—it deepens it.
The photograph operates in the vital pages between the beginning and the end of a short story. I capture a single, finite moment, inviting the viewer to look beyond the frame’s limitations and complete the narrative with their own internal truth.
Selected Portfolios
Acquisition Inquiries
These images are permanent memories of finite moments, and are offered as silver gelatin darkroom prints for private collection. Please contact the studio directly for price lists, edition availability, and exhibition details, or schedule a private viewing.
All acquisitions are accompanied by a signed Certificate of Authenticity and a detailed statement of provenance.
Email: ira.gardner.photo@gmail.com
Studio Phone: (310) 692-5013