Terrific exhibition at the Butler Gallery, Kilkenny considers the explosion of the selfie culture

Eva O’Leary has, through her lens, captured the essence of young American females aged between 11 and 14 through their portraits.
And to do it she adopted a rather foxy method - she photographed them through a two-way mirror.
And this is one of the reasons why this exhibition at the Butler Gallery in Kilkenny Castle is worth a visit.
Eva worked with over 120 female-identifying adolescents between the ages of eleven to fourteen who shared her experience of coming of age in her home town in Pennsylvania.
The insightful portraits are honest and direct, with each sitter projecting different levels of confidence.
Reflections
The exhibition also includes a three-channel single video projection that captures the young girls’ apprehensive examination of their reflections in preparation for the final click of the camera.
Some wear make-up and some don’t while they certainly aren’t all chirpy shots.
The photos , part of Eva’s ‘Spitting Image’ series go against traditional notions of beauty and animate the vulnerability of teenage years; a wider consideration of the explosion of the selfie culture and the way people use photography as a tool for self-representation.
The works are not cheap with prices ranging from €2,500 to €3,200.