Hal Shipman (b. 1963; Denton, TX) Hal’s artistic practice of storytelling is centered around his experiences as a gay man, coming out during the beginning of the AIDS crisis, his family roots in rural Texas and the narrative power of the family story. His work examines the relationship between photography and writing, adding digital collage elements (largely maps), brushwork with watercolor and ink and inkjet transfers.

In his series “Abilene, Texas,” he contrasts his life as a contemporary gay man with that of his great-uncle, Bill Gavin, who lived and died in the closet in Abilene in the early 1900s. “Smilin’ Through (2024)” is a series of photographs which are the basis for a photomontage film (a work in progress). In this work, the classic 1919 play (in which Bill starred in a 1930 community theater production) is reimagined as a gay male gothic romance.