David Gilbert

David Gilbert (born 1982) is an American contemporary photographer. His work explores intimacy, theatricality, and the act of world-building through staged studio tableaux. Using materials such as fabric, paper, and paint, he constructs temporary installations that he photographs in natural light before dismantling. His images transform these fragile constructions into enduring moments of tenderness and desire, situating his practice within contemporary dialogues on queer materiality and photographic performance. He is based in Los Angeles.

Early life and education Gilbert was born in 1982, in New York City. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in 2004, and a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of California, Riverside in 2011.

After relocating to Los Angeles, he developed a studio practice shaped by the city’s dramatic light and atmosphere, which mirrors the theatrical sensibility of his photographs.

Career and work Gilbert builds small, improvised sets in his studio—painted fabric, string, paper, and tape arranged with care and photographed in natural light. Once captured, these assemblages are dismantled, leaving the photograph as their only trace.

The studio functions as a private theater where Gilbert performs a form of queer world-making, constructing spaces that feel both intimate and otherworldly.

Style and themes Gilbert’s photographs blend autobiography and fiction, presenting objects as performers within a brief, illuminated moment. 2024: Flutter, North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, North Carolina 2018: House & Garden, Klaus von Nichtssagend Gallery, New York City, New York