Kevin A Gilligan: Flying Solo in Photography

From KAG's upcoming exhibit, "Developing Men." Image copyright Kevin A. Gilligan

by Skip Cohen

​Next month Kevin A. Gilligan launches Developing Men, a solo exhibit comprised of still photography and a short film. The exhibition opens on October 5 from 4-9 PM PST at the Resin in Hermosa Beach, CA.

One of SCU's most-read posts was Kevin's in 2016 loaded with tips about doing an exhibition of your work. There was so much content that we ran it in three parts. Kevin has shared other guest posts over the years, including one of my favorite images in an episode of "Why?"

Developing Men is a contemporary examination of male friendship, masculinity, isolation, community and legacy through the mediums of photography and video.  In his third solo exhibition, South Bay Photographer Kevin taps into the zeitgeist of the moment and asks what is going well with men, what is not going well with men, and more importantly, why? 

“We are in the middle of one of the fastest periods of change in humanity, with new technologies, we are both more connected and more isolated than ever before. With increased feelings of isolation, communities suffer. At the same time, traditional roles of masculinity are changing rapidly. I am interested in how people perceive these changes and what are the effects on their lives. Why do some succeed when others do not? How do men think about these issues, and how does this affect the men, women and children around them?
​What does it take to develop good men?” 
Kevin A. Gilligan​​

​But there are other aspects to Kevin's work that make today's post so much fun to share.

​We first "met" in 2014 when I featured one of his images as part of a campaign for Tamron USA. Little did I know he'd become a great friend. Over the last five years, we've featured more of his work. As an educator and writer, he's always willing to help other artists.  

Fast forward to March of this year. After five years of phone conversations and emails, Kevin and I finally got to meet in person when he asked me if I was willing to be a subject in Developing Men. Nothing beats the social in social media when you finally get to spend time in person.

And that brings me to my last point, which I've repeatedly written about - friendships. The best thing about the photography industry is the friendships that come out of everyone's love for the craft. It's also a very small industry and Kevin, and I share so many common denominators like our appreciation for Tamron's quality; our love for imaging; mutual friends and the importance of continuing education in imaging.
 
If you're in the greater Los Angeles area, don't miss opening night. It's a free, private event, but RSVP is required. For your tickets, click on the South Bay Artist Collective link below and then be at the Resin in Hermosa Beach on October 5. 

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RESIN, workshop, creative space and home to South Bay Artist Collective has exhibited over 180 local artists including students in 12-15 annual events. Through RESIN, SBAC has provided emerging artists with an opportunity to display their art in a high quality space that does not take the typical 40%-50% commission, resulting in a huge financial benefit to emerging artists.