The Internet is both an extension of traditional social interaction and a radical departure from it. It is a place where we seek out stories, people, and knowledge. But it’s also a place that distorts and limits those interactions.
Cargo deals with connection, looking to the disconnect that exists between people and the online communication they use. A space where the subtleties of body language, touch and sound are lost or compressed. This ongoing body of work focuses on the unseen, exploring the spaces in between friends and partners, where the Internet becomes a third party or mediator in the dialogue of a relationship.
Around the time I began this body of work, my partner and I were no longer living near each other. Through physical distance, a natural thread emerged. Cargo observes the feelings that arise as we uphold relationships through an interface, distorting our understanding of what connection means today.
— Photos and text by Leon Nevill Gallagher, a winner of the LensCulture Emerging Talent Awards 2024. Discover all 25 emerging talents here!
