Tom Gallagher
 
Tom Gallagher is a lens-based visual artist with roots in Chicago and New Mexico. Working across analog, digital, and Polaroid formats, he combines tactile, hands-on techniques with contemporary aesthetics to produce atmospheric, timeless imagery.
 
After earning his B.A. from Southern Illinois University, Gallagher lived and traveled globally, an experience that continues to inform his interest in culture, place, and the arts.
 
Recipient of multiple grants supporting his practice, his works are included in private collections and have been showcased in galleries, publications, and interior design installations across the U.S and internationally.
 
 
The work pays homage to the sotol, aka desert spoon, an icon of the southwest deserts, specifically the Chihuahuan desert.
 
The images for this collage were collected over 4 years during exploring and photographing in the Organ mountains of southern New Mexico. The intent wasn't initially to make a collage, but while building an archive connections started to form, leading to the creation of images to specifically fit the piece. This artwork is part of a larger body of work featuring desert flora and polaroid collage.  
 
 
Desert Sotol
Polaroid Collage
2024
15 x 21 in 
Frame: 20 x 28 in