Tray Goodman

His work has been described as inspired, transformative, and urgent. Tray Goodman's expansive career has been an exploration of the evolving models of communication, allowing him to internalize the impact of narrative in a way makes film and literature his intuitive expression rather than an exercise of craft. In this space, the moving image is Tray's native language, while the written and spoken word are translational; modalities by which he navigates and documents our emergent global storyline. Tray takes what he refers to as a "non-lateral," approach to storytelling, understanding that the most comprehensive translation of our world involves not just looking backwards and forwards, but also looking outward and inward. Reflection upon the past and anticipation of what is to come are the critical scaffolding of our shared experiences, but aspiration and introspection are the dimensions that engender our most authentic truths. Tray Goodman is a man who rejects constraints. He draws his inspiration from the international landscape, and his extensive travels continually inform and refine his personal ethos. Time spent in Ukraine and Iraq cast a long shadow over Tray's artistic expression; cities like Chernobyl and landmarks like the Ziggurat of Ur have cemented his belief that ruins can be rebuilt, stature can be restored, and amidst devastation lies the fertile ground for rebirth. Tray practices integrationalism, incorporating the many disciplines of communication into a holistic approach. Film, television, print, and the spoken word all shape our collective understanding, but the experience not yet documented and the words not yet spoken convey meaning as well. The potential of this negative space is what Tray seeks to insert into our various certitudes, challenging our assumptions by creating fissures in our concreteness. Tray chooses to work on projects that explore themes of examination and discovery. For him, these are parts of the same destination towards which he is guiding us, sometimes gently and sometimes insistently. A prolific artist, a new work begins before another ends, transforming the lifecycle of a project into a spectrum. His work reads like an invitation to share his nonlinear experience of the world around us. Where the arrival and departure intersect, and where the inchoate converges with the complete is the fluctuating space in which Tray Goodman constructs his most truthful and cohesive storylines.