Eileen Quinlan

Eileen Quinlan employs medium and large format analog cameras to produce abstract photographic works.

Biography of Eileen Quinlan

Eileen Quinlan was born in 1972 in Boston, Massachusetts. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1996 from the School of The Museum of Fine Arts, Tufts University. She completed her Master of Fine Arts degree in 2005 at Columbia University.

Before transitioning to her current photographic style, Eileen Quinlan explored street photography, portrait photography, and landscape photography. However, after graduating, she realized her desire to move away from capturing images in the external world and instead focus on constructing photography within the controlled environment of a studio.

Quinlan's recent solo exhibitions include "The Waves" at Miguel Abreu Gallery in New York (2023), "Doll Parts" at Emanuela Campoli Gallery in Paris (2023), "Dawn Goes Down" at Miguel Abreu Gallery in New York (2020), "Down Dog" at Vistamarestudio in Milan (2020), "Encounter / Encore" at Radio Athenes in Athens (2019), and many more. 

She has also participated in numerous group exhibitions, including "Shake The Dust" at Miguel Abreu Gallery in New York (2023), "For The People Of Paris" at Campoli Presti in Paris (2022), "LE VOCI DELLA SERA" at Vistamare Gallery in Milan (2022), "MIST, FOAM, DRAINAGE DITCH" at Franz Kaka in Toronto (2021), among others.

Eileen Quinlan's artwork was exhibited at the 57th Venice Biennale in 2017 as a part of the Viva Arte Viva exhibition, curated by Christine Macel.

Currently, Eileen Quinlan lives and works in New York, USA.

Eileen Quinlan's Art Style

Quinlan is often recognized as part of a cohort of contemporary artists reexamining late Modernism. Additionally, she is considered among several contemporary photographers who are pushing the boundaries of the earlier Pictures Generation into new realms.

Using medium and large format analog cameras, Quinlan creates abstract photographs, employing techniques such as film agitation through steel wool or extended chemical processing. Her subjects often include smoke, mirrors, mylar, colored lights, and existing photographs. The resulting images evoke color field painting and op art, contributing to the ongoing dialogue between photography and painting in contemporary art.