Tom Scanlan: 6 1/2

Tom Scanlan: 6 ½

October 2 through December 14, 2023
Opening reception: October 7, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Artist's Statement:

I personally believe you will never be able to truly look at yourself. It’s similar to when you first hear a recording of your own voice; it sounds strange. The recording doesn’t sound the same as your voice does to you when you speak. The same applies to the way we “see” ourselves. Sure, you can look around easily, and find your legs, feet, arms, and hands. If you cross your eyes hard enough, you can even find your nose. You can self-consciously stare at a reflection of yourself in the mirror. Through a photograph, you may transport yourself to a bygone era in which you probably made a poor fashion choice. Yet, this vision will never be the same as the way you can see the people you surround yourself with or any person you may encounter on the street. I believe this idea can apply to any of the individuals pictured in this show. You may never get to see them in the same light that I have. But through my perception of these people, I think you will find that this show is just an attempt to see myself. It is a self-portrait involving everything that I have been up to since graduating from The Pennington School six-and-a half-years ago. 

About Tom Scanlan:

Tom Scanlan ’17 (b. 1999, New Hope, PA) is an artist, photographer, and filmmaker based in New York. He received his B.S. in photography from Drexel University in Philadelphia. Working as a commercial, editorial, and fine art photographer, Scanlan currently works as the in-house photographer for the American clothing company Bode, while his personal work focuses on portraiture and social documentation. He has had his work featured in Vogue, GQ, Architectural Digest, i-D, Paper magazine and Document Journal.