Thomas Lackey

I was born in Dragerton, Utah, in 1949, son of a mining engineer who soon moved us to the more comfortable world of Southern California. A childhood accident at the age of six left me partially blind in one eye, which I think accounts for my having little trouble seeing the world in two dimensions. I began taking self consciously composed photos at the age of 14 and created my first darkroom from a mattress box. Although never formally schooled in photography, after high school I apprenticed with my uncle in his studio making large-format images for commercial clients. The experience gave me a traditional grounding in large format film photography, developing and printing. But I soon wearied of the technical formalism. Instead, I embraced 35 mm street photography even while working in a Toronto photo mural studio. Since then I have concentrated on recording historic and tourist environments, fall fairs, exhibitions and daily life. For a major Toronto exhibition I recorded dozens of inscriptions carved by patients into the walls of the old provincial asylum that confined them, a project that was given extensively national coverage by the Toronto Star, National Post and CBC National News. I now live on Vancouver Island and am redisco...

American Bicentennial, Dalhouse University Art Gallery
Scotiabank Contact Photography Festival, Toronto
Electric Light with Patti Walker, Syllogy Gallery, Toronto
Glance-Images of an Urban Moment, with Linda Hossie, Syllogy Gallery, Toronto

Sacred Spaces, solo, Syllogy Gallery, Toronto
Hot Spots- Images of Portugal and Spain, Right Side Gallery, Penetanguishene, Ontario
Highway 69, with Mike Coughlin, Double Door Gallery, Barrie, Ontario
The Home Show, Double Door Gallery, Barrie, Ontario

Collections:
Private collection in Canada, the United States and Africa
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto
Double Door Gallery, Barrie, Ontario