Stephen Gilligan

Driving to the moon and back in a VW Jetta takes a toll on the spirit. This is a result of 720,000 chaotic kilometres embedded in the intense traffic on Southern Ontario highways, not the tranquility and excitement of an adventure to the moon. You can bet that if the destination truly was the moon, a camera and tripod would be in the trunk of the car, ready to shoot where Armstrong, Aldrin, Conrad, Irwin, and the rest left off.

Photography is an adventure, an intense exploration of the world we encounter. In so doing, we draw upon past experience to understand and connect with the magnificence of that time and place. A camera is a vehicle to isolate a scene, to create a palatable sample of an otherwise potentially overwhelming experience. The final print, if successful, is a capsule containing the moment of clarity.

Stephen Gilligan has retained his passion for the photographic process throughout the rapid technology developments that have changed his methodology.  Using both traditional and digital techniques, he selects the best methods to arrive at the point of intention. At times this has included hand built pinhole cameras allowing for extraordinary composition and depth with surprising clarity. No doubt he retains a romantic view of a finely designed mechanical camera and is often scene gazing into the optical viewfinder with fascination.

Stephen is President of an organization made up of a diverse group of photographic print makers from the Greater Toronto area known as the Toronto Focal Forum. The group has been meeting continuously since 1939. Within a unique meeting format, group critiques and social interaction are focused around the art of photography and printmaking.

Stephen studied at McMaster University, Hamilton, attaining a B.Sc. in Life Sciences, followed by studies in commercial photography at Sheridan College, Oakville.  He is a former Professor in the School of Media, Art and Design at Durham College Oshawa.