Far From All That Allows: Pat O'Malley

O’Malley  is a photographer based in Brooklyn, NY. In 2014, he received his BFA from the School of Visual Arts. His work has been shown in group exhibitions in the United States and Europe, as well as featured in various print and web publications. He released his first book, Cruiser, in 2018. Whether shooting organically or in the studio, he uses flattened images to reveal the many layers of beauty and irony in our contemporary landscape and everyday objects. He is originally from Omaha, Nebraska. 

“The Photographing of America is a large order — read at all literally, the phrase would be an absurdity,” wrote Robert Frank in his application for a Guggenheim Fellowship in Photography in 1954.

Zak Krevitt, Molly Matalon, Corey Olsen, Pat O’Malley, Tim Schutsky, and Caroline Tompkins, six contemporary photographers following in Frank’s footsteps, are well aware of the inherent absurdity of photographing the entire United States. Instead of taking on the task alone, they are going at it together, working in collaboration while honing their individual perspectives. And in the process, they are forming a new wave in American photography. Graduates of the School of Visual Arts’ (SVA) BFA Photography program, the members of this group solidified steadfast bonds while still in college, seeking out community and connections whenever possible.