Séamus Gallagher:
Face Not Recognized

May 1 - October 1 2022

“Face Not Recognized is a series of photographs that emphasize the relationship of mediated technologies with gender transition. Inspired by the many people I know, including myself, that have begun transitioning throughout the pandemic, this series places a focus on the often ignored textures and surfaces through which we are both made visible to others. In re-photographing these often obscured self-portraits through digital screens that are also obscured through moisture, cracks, and grease/oil, I want to highlight the connection between portraiture, and the increase in being confronted with one’s own self-image through online communication. The series also asks what it means to go through any transformation publicly within a medium that flattens whoever a person has been with whoever they may be now, into a consumable image.” —Séamus Gallagher

Séamus Gallagher is a lens-based media artist based in Kjipuktuk (Halifax, Nova Scotia). They use self-portraiture and performing for the camera to address gender performances within a digital/online context. Their work is heavily influenced by pop music, video game aesthetics, and writers like José Esteban Muñoz, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Mark Fisher. Gallagher is the recipient of the 2022 Scotiabank New Generation Photography Award, the 2019 BMO 1st Art! Award, and the 2017 AIMIA | AGO Photography Scholarship. They have exhibited at the Locarno Film Festival, the Museum of Fine Art of Leipzig, as well as the Museum of Contemporary Art in Toronto.


^{Photo documentation by Alison Postma}