Artist Visit: Professional skateboarding photographer Grant Brittain
Above: ASPIRE TO INSPIRE: Photographer Jason Thrasher talks to Clarke Central High School students in the Media Center on Feb. 21. Thrasher has been a professional photographer in Athens for 30 years, a career which he credits to mentor and skateboarding photographer Grant Brittain. “I would have killed for him to come to my high school and spoken and told us the stuff that he might tell you guys like his stories,” Thrasher said. “ I think it's really cool that here's a guy who I looked up to at that point in my life, and now through our art and our books, we've become friends, and now he's coming to Athens to show his work in our gallery. It's really an amazing full circle life moment.” Photo by Isabelle Duncan.
Professional skateboarding photographer Grant Brittain will visit CCHS on Sept. 28 during his visit to Athens to open a show at a local gallery.
In the spring of 2022, the Media Center and fine arts department began collaborating to bring artists to Clarke Central High School to provide a platform for students to see the potential in fine arts careers.
One such visit took place on Feb. 21 when Jason Thrasher came to talk about his journey as a professional photographer. For the upcoming artist visit on Sept. 28, Thrasher’s mentor Grant Brittain, a contemporary artist specializing in skating photography for 44 years, will be hosted in partnership with the ODYSSEY Media Group and the fine arts department.
“The fact that you guys get (exposed to) these stories that you hear through your guest speakers that you have at Clarke Central, it's invaluable. It's really an amazing opportunity,” Thrasher said. “(Grant Brittain) is not only a great artist and great photographer, but he has mentored countless artists and photographers over the years. He's still inspiring me as an artist.”
Fine arts department teacher Amanda Price has previously worked to bring in artists like Brittain, including Thrasher and Christy Bush. She looks forward to another opportunity to expose her students to an artist’s perspective.
“Learning about contemporary artists such as Grant Brittain provide students (the ability) to see an artist, not just as the idea of an artist, but as a working professional in the world, someone who is thinking, investigating and expressing themselves,” Price said. “It provides students with the chance to gain insights into that individual's creative process and thinking directly from the individual, where they then have the opportunity to ask them questions and hopefully take away some inspiration for their own art making.”
According to freshman Ada Kennedy, who is currently enrolled in Photography I, artist visits provide a space to obtain new knowledge on an area of interest. Kennedy comes from a long line of photographers and is eager to learn from someone with a similar aesthetic.
“We get to (meet) someone who's doing photography professionally. Asking questions (and) learning from someone who's been doing it is really nice,” Kennedy said. “I'm looking forward to meeting someone who (takes) really nice black and white photos.”
Brittain is looking forward to his visit to CCHS, which is part of a larger experience in Athens where he will open a show at ACE/FRANCISCO Gallery, an art exhibit owned by Thrasher. By sharing his experience, he hopes to influence CCHS students.
“I want to show how simple photography can be, you don't need a lot of expensive gear to take rad photos. Less is more,” Brittain said.
Story by Cate DeMaria
Cate DeMaria is a Clarke Central High School junior in Athens, Georgia. She serves as the Managing Editor for the iliad Literary-Art Magazine. DeMaria hopes to work on her writing skills and expand iliad’s community outreach. In her free time, she likes to hang out with friends and play flag football.