Andrea Hammack
Staff Writer
Marcus Dorsey, a Troy University alumnus from Montgomery, is currently debuting his first solo photography show.
The show consists of 11 portraits that Dorsey, who has a bachelor’s degree in graphic design, said he hopes gives the viewers a glimpse into how he sees people in his everyday life.
The inspiration for this show came about post-graduation while Dorsey was on a journey to find himself.
“Post-graduation life is not easy,” Dorsey said. “Especially for someone in the creative field.
“Between finding a job and finding a career, I slipped into a deep artist’s block that lasted a year and ultimately made me forget who I was as an artist.”
Dorsey said this show was his chance to remind himself of who he is.
Dorsey has been a photographer for eight years. When presented with a series of projects to choose from during his freshman year of high school, Dorsey chose a project he thought would be “easy.”
“I convinced my mom that I needed a camera for this project, and she bought me a simple point-and-shoot camera,” Dorsey said. “In the end, I got a 70 on the project, but I actually fell in love with photography and capturing unique moments in a way that made people think. I haven’t stopped since.”
Once Dorsey graduated from Troy and moved back to Montgomery, he endured a disconnection from the creative atmosphere he had while at college, but an opportunity presented itself to him.
“I ended up talking to the curator one night, by accident, and he gave me his info,” Dorsey said. “Once that happened, we planned the show back in August.”
Dorsey said that getting his work shown wasn’t hard. The hard part was making the choice of what old work he was going to show and what new work he needed to create.
“Showcasing old work meant, in my mind, giving up,” Dorsey said. “I kept going back to some old series that really gave me some insight on how I see people.
“This led me to find an appreciation for my own work and my artistic journey over the years.”
His process allowed him to proudly showcase two of his strongest portrait series: “Contortion” and “Being You.”
“I am inspired by human nature and the art of the human body,” Dorsey said. “I love to turn the things people hate about themselves into things they learn to start appreciating.”
This specific series highlights Dorsey’s technical skill as a photographer and his love for people.
“Each piece has its own conversation with the viewer while also speaking as a collective,” Dorsey said.
Dorsey encourages everyone to come out and see his work and hopes to inspire other artists who may be going to the same artistic blocks and fears that he went through.
“I want this show to be an inspiration for someone to just take a step out of their comfort zone,” Dorsey said. “To let people see them for the artist that they are.
“You never know what will happen until you try.”
The show is located at KRU bar in Montgomery. The show is free to see, but you must be 20 or older to go in.
The bar is open Monday – Wednesday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Thursday – Saturday from 4 p.m. to 12 a.m.
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