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Ethan James Green | |
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| Born | Ethan James Green 1990 (age 35–36) |
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| Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) |
Ethan James Green (born 1990) is a New York City based photographer and the founder of New York Life Gallery. Green began his career as a fashion model before gaining recognition for his portrait photography, later expanding his practice into curatorial work and gallery leadership.
Green grew up in Caledonia, Michigan, where he began photographing his friends at the age of 14. In 2007, at age 17, he signed with Ford Models, and he moved to New York City the following year. [1]
As a model, he appeared in a prominent campaign for Calvin Klein, and was photographed by David Armstrong, appearing in Armstrong's 2011 book 615 Jefferson Ave. [2] He began working as Armstrong's assistant, and Armstrong became his mentor. [3]
Green’s photographic work is rooted in portraiture and is informed by themes of contemporary identity, sexuality, and style. His images are characterized by a direct, intimate approach that foregrounds the presence and individuality of his subjects.
After relocating to New York, Green continued photographing his friends and peers, often meeting subjects through nightlife [4] and social media. [1] Early subjects include actress and model Hari Nef; stylist and Interview's fashion director Dara; photographer Cruz Valdez; model Marcs Goldberg; writer Devan Diaz; and artist, poet Ser Serpas. [3]
In 2014, [5] Green began taking portraits of his Queer, transgender, and nonbinary friends, frequently working in Corlears Hook Park and within various Queer ecosystems in New York City. [6] In 2019, Aperture Foundation published the portraits as the monograph Young New York.
Green’s second monograph, Bombshell, was published by Baron in 2024. The body of work, made from 2021 to 2022, subverts the idea of the stereotypical “bombshell,” exploring and reinterpreting the concept by inviting his models to style and pose themselves in ways that embody their personal perspective on femininity, glamor, and sex appeal. [7]
As a commercial photographer, Green has shot editorials for Arena Homme + , Dazed , Double Magazine, Foam Magazine, Harper's Bazaar , i-D , L’Uomo Vogue , MARFA, le Monde , Perfect, The New Yorker , Time , Vogue , Vogue Italia , W Magazine , and WSJ Magazine ; campaigns for Alexander McQueen, Dior, Fendi, Louis Vuitton, Miu Miu, Prada, Tom Ford, and Versace; and influential fashion and cultural figures such as Naomi Campbell, Bella Hadid, Kate Moss, Rihanna, RuPaul, and John Waters. [8]
In 2025, Green was selected as the photographer for the Pirelli Calendar, an annual publication produced by Pirelli since 1964. His edition, titled Refresh and Reveal, revisited the calendar’s origins and emphasized vulnerability and collaboration, focusing on authenticity in contemporary representations of beauty. [9]
In 2022, Green transformed his Chinatown studio into an artist-run exhibition space, establishing New York Life Gallery. [10] Dedicated to experimental and interdisciplinary practices, the gallery reflects Green’s commitment to community-driven artmaking and to highlighting contemporary queer and countercultural voices.
Since its founding, New York Life Gallery has presented a range of projects, including a live, immersive performance by painter and illustrator Drake Carr and a never-before-seen archive of work by the late photographer Steven Cuffie. [11] In addition to exhibitions, the gallery organizes artist-led programs and publishes zines and small-run artist publications.
Through this initiative, Green has become recognized not only for his photographic work but also for his contributions as a gallerist and advocate for emerging, mid-career, and overlooked artists.
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