Photographic Alphabet: O is for Bill O'Donnell
These pictures were shot in a rusting tin dollhouse. The setting is a laboratory for the study of the three primary concerns of the Western philosophical tradition: Knowledge, Conduct and Governance.
How do we know what we know?
How might one live a virtuous life?
What is the relationship between the individual and society?
Through the use of a limited set of props, I’ve focused on the fragile nature of accumulated wisdom, the formation of an ethical code and the difficulty of negotiating the threshold between the public and private.
Bill O’Donnell earned a BA from the Union Institute and an MFA from The School of The Art Institute of Chicago. He taught at Loyola University Chicago and the School of the Art Institute before joining the faculty of Illinois State University in 2001. His curated solo exhibitions include shows at SOHO PHOTO GALLERY in New York, the CHICAGO CULTURAL CENTER, the TORONTO PHOTOGRAPHERS WORKSHOP, the WATER TOWER GALLERY in Chicago and GALLERY 13 in Minneapolis. His work has been recognized with a Regional Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, and two Artist Fellowships from the Illinois Arts Council. Awards include artist residencies at The Anderson Center in Red Wing, MN, the Ragdale Foundation in Lake Forest, Il, The Hambidge Foundation in Rabun Gap, GA, and the Oxbow Center in Saugatuck, MI. His work is included in the Chicago Project of the Catherine Edelman Gallery and the Midwest Photographers Project at the Museum of Contemporary Photography.
You can find more of Bill’s work here.