Nancy Floyd, born in Monticello, Minnesota in 1956, is an American photographer. Her photographic subjects mainly concern women and the female body during youth, pregnancy, and while aging. Her project She's Got a Gun comprises portraits of women and their firearms, which is linked to her Texas childhood. Floyd's work has been shown in 18 solo exhibitions and is held in the collections of the Museum of Contemporary Photography and the High Museum of Art. Floyd is emeritus professor of photography at the Ernest G. Welch school of Art and Design at Georgia State University.
Beginning in 1982, Floyd began photographing herself daily, taking more than 2,500 photos of herself. These photographs focus on the female body, the passing of time and the loss of family members. Cultural and technological changes are also noted upon through her self-portraits through accompanying fashion and settings. The work is a reflection of Floyd's personal experiences with aging and mortality by documenting herself in her personal environment to record her own transformations over time. Floyd sought not only to document the passing of time but also to produce work that expressed information about her own generational context. This specific series of work was exhibited in many different galleries and Floyd received multiple awards and scholarships for this series.
''She's Got a Gun''
To better understand her deceased brother and his love for firearms, Floyd purchased her own gun and discovered a love for the sport and the people she met through it. She began cataloging a visual history of women and guns. In 2008, Floyd published her first book titled, She's Got a Gun, which includes 35 images taken by Floyd of women with guns. The book references American gun women, but it is also a memoir to her Texas childhood, since she lost her brother to the war at a very young age.
''10.9''
10.9 is another series of photographs that relates closely to Floyd's own love for firearms and the strong women she chooses to photograph. This collection displays images and videos of female competition shooters.
''The James M. Floyd Memorial''
This series of work is a collection of photographs devoted to the brother that she lost when she was only twelve years old. These photographs explore Floyd's feelings about what happened to her brother who died while fighting for the army.
''Walking through the Desert with My Eyes Closed''
This series of work displays a compilation of videos that Nancy has taken. These videos are primarily shot down looking at her feet or the ground, while she is walking through the desert. Some of these videos include music to go along with the work.
Exhibitions
Nancy Floyd has exhibited 18 solo exhibitions and more than 70 group shows. Her exhibitions have been featured in the United States, Japan, and Europe, and includes the following galleries:
2002: Artist Project Grant from the City of Atlanta Bureau of Cultural Affairs
Artist/writing residency at the Hambidge Center for Creative Arts and Sciences, Rabun Gap, GA; Light Work, Syracuse, NY; and The Joshua Tree Highlands Artist Residency, Joshua Tree, CA.
