On Season 8, episode 4 of The Art Career Podcast, Emily sits down with Dr. Ace Lehner to discuss trans visual culture, the politics of representation, and so much more
Their conversation explores how images construct identity, how institutions shape visibility, and what it means to challenge dominant frameworks of seeing. As both a scholar and an artist, Ace brings depth, clarity, and lived insight to questions that sit at the center of contemporary culture.
Emily and Ace talk about photography, authorship, power, and the responsibility that comes with representation - and why rewriting visual narratives isn’t just theoretical, but necessary.
Recorded at: Creative Legion in Hudson, NY
Listen wherever you get your podcasts.
Dr. Ace Lehner is an interdisciplinary visual culture scholar and artist whose work focuses on trans and queer visual culture, race and representation, photography, performance, and modern and contemporary art. Their writing has appeared in leading journals including Art Journal, Visual Studies, Cultural Politics, and Media-N, among others. Lehner recently guest edited the first-ever issue of Art Journal dedicated to trans visual culture and is currently developing a book project, Trans Representations: Decolonizing Visual Theory in Contemporary Photography, based on their award-winning dissertation research.
Lehner’s artistic practice spans photography, installation, and performance, examining the relationship between representation and identity. Their project Barbershop: The Art of Queer Failure has been presented in solo exhibitions at Brewer Harris projects and Practice Gallery, as well as in group exhibitions at the Fleming Museum and the Wassaic Project with additional exhibitions at institutions, including the International Center of Photography, El Museo del Barrio, and SOMArts.
A recipient of numerous awards and fellowships, including the College Art Association Professional Development Fellowship, Lehner has delivered public talks and organized conference panels internationally. They have worked in museum education for over two decades and pioneered the first Queer Tours at the Museum of Modern Art. Lehner is currently a Tenure Track Assistant Professor of Art and Art History at the University of Vermont.
Dr Ace Lehner's Website: http://ace-lehner.com
Follow Ace: https://www.instagram.com/ace_lehner_projects
Follow Emily McElwreath on Instagram: @emilymcelwreath_art
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Sound Engineer and Production: Josh Craig
Creative Direction: Nina Yankovic