John O’Reilly (1930 – 2021), Recliner and Spanish Dog, 199, printed 1992, gelatin silver print, framed, on Agfa Portriga Rapid paper, from an edition of 10. Print size: 5.5″ x 9.25″
Long time Worcester resident, John O’Reilly studied painting at Syracuse University (1952) and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (1956), earning his BFA and MFA respectively. Extensively collected in major collections, O’Reilly’s work was included in the Whitney Biennial in 1995 and was the subject of a solo show at the Addison Gallery of American Art in 2002. O’Reilly utilizes Polaroid photographs, found images, scraps, clips, blades, and glue to create visually complex photomontages that engage issues of art history, the body, and sexuality.
The PRC showcased one of the first large retrospectives of O’Reilly’s work in 1996, Le Lecteur (The Reader): Selected Works by John O’Reilly and he guest curated the show Representing the Intangible in 2000. This print is a rare photograph of one of O’Reilly’s collages, printed by the master printers at Palm Press.
