Ben Geoghegan discoveries

Born in Galway, and educated in England and Scotland, Ben is a co-founder and committee member of g126, an artist-led, non-profit gallery based in Unit 11 Ballybane Industrial Estate, off the Tuam Road in Galway.Geoghegan has been photographing the backs of paintings for several years and recently shot 18 works from the Hugh Lane Gallery. Embarking on the project in order to show familiar works in a new light, even Geoghegan himself was surprised at such a “fantastical” discovery. As Aidan Dunne of The Irish Times writes, “He unearthed two paintings by Paul Henry, one of Ireland’s most celebrated artists, and a post-impressionist work by the French painter Edouard Vuillard.”Speaking about Geoghegan’s project, Michael Dempsey, the head of exhibitions at Hugh Lane, said: “The back has an aesthetic relevance. It shows what materials are used, how it was stored and how it has deteriorated.”Currently, Geoghegan is negotiating a potential exhibition for his 18 works, which will include the unseen paintings.