The Wooden City

In The Wooden City, Benjamin Gallagher presents highly laboured, beautifully constructed forms that focus on his observations of the inhabited buildings around him. His studies in architecture and industrial design play alongside his decades long experience working with his father as a heritage tradesman, mostly in the highly skilled restoration of slate roofs, many of those in Maitland. “I analyse buildings, both old and new. Be they serious and considered or rustic and humble, I find intrigue in the process of their construction, the decisions made on their behalf, on behalf of the culture they inhabit. Studies in architecture and industrial design set against my working life as a heritage roof slater and copper-smith have enabled me a unique perspective. The charm and romanticism of a Victorian handrail captivates me in equal measure to the form finish surface of a brutalist wall. ” – Benjamin Gallagher