Once upon a time, in the village of Brooklyn, a girl child was born, this birth came during World War II.  Her mission was to make and spread the word that art was a necessary part of life.

 

This child was Gila Lane.  At age six, her family moved to the hinterlands of Long Island, a small town called Great Neck.

 

A Brownie Camera was given to the child and she took many photographs of her new home and surroundings.  Soon she was shooting portraits, scenery, and abstract photographs.  At this time, Gila was also finger painting, using crayons, drawing, making mud pies, and making art with anything she could get her hands on.  And, let’s not forget the “Bluing Job” at age three.

 

With much enthusiastic support from her teachers, Gila took time at Great Neck North Senior High School, School of Visual Arts, The Art Students League, and CW Post College to hone her skills at photography, painting, and clothing design.

 

In 1970, Gila, her husband Paul Block (a TV Producer) and daughter Kiva (who eventually became a Hollywood makeup artist) moved to “The Land of Angels;” and a second daughter, Shana Lane-Block, joined the family a few years later (and became a child actor, remember Who’s The Boss?)  In LA Gila became a sought-after photographer, clothing decorator for Doc Severinsen, M-m-mel Tillis, and others, and a designer and maker of macramé clothing for Cher, and wall hangings for the homes of many celebrities.  In the mid 70s Gila Lane also had a line of jewelry around the country.  She even had an atelier on Ventura Boulevard in North Hollywood.

 

Before becoming a full-time artist, Gila worked in television broadcasting as a photographer, costume designer, writer, director and producer. In the last three decades of the 20th century her main work was shooting publicity photos of celebrities.  Her work has appeared on The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson, The Sonny & Cher Show, HBO, Showtime and in such publications as Time Magazine, Rolling Stone Magazine and others.

 

Today, a professional photographer, as well as painter, Gila’s works offer spirited, intimate perspectives of the places and people she has met while visiting the Americas, Europe, and the South Pacific. 

 

From 2012 to 2023 her favorite thing to do was be in her gallery (Lane Gallery) in Portland, Oregon creating and selling her art and emerging artist’s art. Gila’s works range from pure photography to hybrids, paintings, mixed media, collages, and dioramas.   Best of all Gila loves photographing her grandchildren.