Suzy Gorman

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Suzy Gorman, 2006Photography: Rick Gould
Suzy Gorman, 2006
Photography: Rick Gould

Suzanne (Suzy) Gorman (born 1962) is an American photographer based in St. Louis, who is as well-known for her attitude as her photography. She has an extensive client list of celebrities, including President Bill Clinton, First Ladies Barbara Bush and Hillary Clinton, and sports and entertainment personalities such as Nelly, Cory Spinks, Bob Costas, Ozzie Smith, Jackie Joyner, and Kathryn Sansone. She has also photographed entertainers such as Cirque du Soleil, and hip-hop and musical artists such as Destiny's Child and Sting.

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[edit] Biography

Gorman was born in St. Louis on June 8, 1962. Her father Charles David Gorman was of Irish descent, a professor of mathematics at Washington University, with a PhD from Yale University. Her mother Gong Shu is Chinese, born in Shanghai, but came to the United States when she was 19 to study literature at Yale, and then later obtained a doctorate in psychology from Washington University, before becoming a psychodrama therapist.

Gorman attended University City High School, graduated early and then at the age of 16 enrolled in Fontbonne College, receiving a degree in fine arts in 1983. This kind of feat was not unusual in her family -- her brother, John Gorman, has a PhD in engineering. Her sister, Mei Ling Hazelton, was named a 1994 Rhodes Scholar in English.

Her interest in photography did not start until college, when she inherited her father's Leica camera after he died, at which point she took her first ever photography class. In 1981 she worked for Mayor Vincent Schoemehl, and in 1982 she became an intern for Rick Gould, a local fashion photographer.

She cites Richard Avedon as one of her major influences, though she also greatly respects the work of Annie Leibovitz.

In 2006, Gorman states that she is experimenting with moving her business into the realm of music videos.

[edit] Famous demeanor

The St. Louis Post Dispatch in 1995 started its article about Gorman with, "Suzy Gorman looks tough, talks gruff and acts rough. Is it shtick or is it Suzy?" and concludes that "it" is in fact Suzy. She is known for dismissing clients, instructing them to lose weight, and she is equally direct about telling people to change everything from their hair to their teeth.

Her abrupt attitude has both attracted attention and lost business. She claims that she has been "fired as often as she's been hired," and that she has had many clients walk out on her. She says that she does this because she wants the best possible photo, and sees her relationship with clients not as her being a service provider, but as a partner -- she is clear that she does not want to have clients that are not prepared to deal with her communication style and obsessive attention to detail.

[edit] Quotes

  • "During the mid 1980s, Suzy made the society pages of St. Louis Magazine worth looking at. Her unique style and demeanor made it easy to approach celebrities such as Frank Sinatra, Ozzie Smith, Lauren Bacall... I'll never forget the art director of St. Louis Magazine, Jon Davis, recommending Suzy (then an unknown) for the weekly forays to society parties and exclusive events. At first, I balked, trusting an unknown photographer to get the shot the first time. From the start, she never missed. She was able to get in and out of the event with a demeanor that no man could pull off. Her shots were always impeccable. She may be unconventional, but ask yourself, do you want a conventional, ordinary photo?" — Lisa Jo Romas, former associate art director, St. Louis Magazine.[citation needed]

[edit] References

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