NANCY GRACE HORTON

Becoming Grey
Take 2 | Work in progress

Becoming Grey is a celebration of women’s hair, identity, desire, and power, as revealed in photographs and interviews by Nancy Grace Horton starting during a 7 day residency at 3SArtspace, in Portsmouth, NH, USA, during, COVID.

Her compelling projects shed light on the oppression of women, and her unique blend of curiosity and humor challenges audiences to engage in thought-provoking conversations.

Currently, she is actively working on Take 2 of "Becoming Grey" and is seeking collaborations to bring her vision to life using cutting-edge technology. This includes audio, video, and installation. She's also looking for new communities and venues to support this project and the next. She's enthusiastic about refining and exploring visual and audio installation as a new way of presenting her work.

Are you skilled at collaborative events, photography, interviews, installation videos, or audio editing? Or do you want to sponsor or offer a venue for a pop-up studio to host me for several days to bring the community together for photography, interviews, and an exhibition? Are you in the Portsmouth, NH area and want to participate? Let's connect! Nancy ngh@hortonphoto.com

ENGAGEMENTS:

March 2023: Creative Mornings, Portsmouth, NH
October 2023: Photographic Resource Center, Cambridge, MA
April 2024: Hawkeye Community College Professional Photography, Waterloo, Iowa (Zoom)

A documentary and work in progress, stills, video and audio.

Sampler: Becoming Grey.
Still Images, audio.

NHPR Interview

SELF PORTRAIT, 2011. A notation. At the time I had the interest in grey hair as a subject, initially, I did not have the time to do it, so I did a note taking image, that I kept around until the stars aligned to take on the project.

Event: OPENING Debut @ 3SArtspace
Friday, September 3, 2021, 5-8.

A celebration of women’s hair, identity, desire, and power, as revealed in photographs and interviews by Nancy Grace Horton.

EVENT: Presentation and viewing
@ 3SArtspace
Becoming Grey
Seacoast Women Discuss the Silver Lining

Wednesday, October 6, 2021@ 3SArtspace
Doors 6:30pm / Event 7pm / Post-event social 8-8:30pm
Suggested donation $10*

Link to video

Sponsors:

3S ARTSPACE

A heartfelt thank you to 3SArtspace for their invaluable support during my 7-day residency amidst COVID-19. Their assistance in creative collaboration, exhibition, and a screening event, as well as their continued support as I work to expand the project in 2024, is deeply appreciated.

Special thanks to:

BETH FALCONER

SARA O'REILLY

MARTIN HOLBROOK

JACK LABBE

Jessica Todd Salon

Dan Friend

Melissa Paly

MaryJo Brown

Much thanks to all who have participated and continue to support the projects development

The Project
Residency @ 3SArtspace, October 2020.

Through audio interviews, video, and still photographs, Becoming Grey portrays women who defy stereotypical notions of greying and gender beauty. Photographer Nancy Grace Horton invited women to flaunt their grey hair and to explore the feelings and motivations behind identity, aging and hair color. Designed to confront expectations and provoke conversation, the Becoming Grey installation embraces every woman’s journey, and advocates for realistic representations of female identity.

Artist’s Statement

Becoming Grey has been percolating in my mind for many years, as an offshoot of my previous projects investigating stereotypical roles and images of women.

A woman’s grey hair is such a fraught symbol. For many, the appearance of our first grey hairs is a rite of passage, signaling both the loss of our youth and the wisdom we acquire with age. Society and popular culture push us to deny our age by dying away our grey, yet how can we be comfortable denying who we really are?

The photos and interviews of Becoming Grey were made during a 7-day residency at 3SArtspace where outreach was made to the Portsmouth, NH community inviting all women to participate in an audio and photoshoot event to discuss grey hair.

My intent is that this project provokes conversations and inspire others to feel comfortable being whatever version of themselves they decide to display to the world.

Of course, every woman in Becoming Grey is on her own journey. Some are older, some are younger. Some have never dyed their hair, some have flirted with it off and on, and some became grey abruptly when hairdressers closed for the pandemic. Each of the 50-or-so women so far who have sat for this project contribute a unique story and insight. My deepest thanks to all who continue to open your hearts.

My thanks also go to 3SArtspace. First, for providing a week-long residency for the interviews and photo sessions to give my project life. And secondly, for an ideal venue in which to present the work. In addition thank you for the continued support to bring my project to fruition. —Nancy Grace Horton, May 2024.