“The Rolling Exhibition”: A Legless Man’s Photographic Collection of Gawkers

Think people stare at you when you travel? Kevin Connolly has a whole different take on that. Born without legs, he is the subject of gawking wherever he goes. However, instead of getting mad about the extra attention he receives, Connolly turned the tables on his watchers- the 22-year-old Montana State photography student started a project chronicling the people who can’t help but stare.

Possessing a completely healthy body minus legs, Connolly has always excelled at sports and outdoor activities, including camping, hiking, rock climbing and skiing. He competed in the X-Games using a specially designed monoski, earning a silver medal and a cash prize. He used the prize money on a three month solo voyage through 15 countries in Asia and Europe, where his photographic quest began.

It all began one day when he was riding his skateboard (his main method of transportation) down the street in Italy when once again, he felt the familiar sensation of someone staring at him. Quickly moving his camera to his hip, Connolly took several shots of the man and continued on his way. Ever since that day, he has been capturing images of people gawking at him. He has compiled these images into The Rolling Exhibition.

People have stared at Connolly his whole life, including a time when he was 10 years old and Japanese tourists at Disney World were trying to take his picture instead of the costumed characters. His appearance has caused people to mistake him for everyone from a beggar (in Eastern Europe) to a shark attack victim (in New Zealand) to a wounded Iraqi vet in Helena, Montana, where a man asked him if he still wore his dog tags from the war.

The 32,000 images Connolly has captured portray looks ranging from pity to fascination to curiosity. When shooting, he purposely looks away or avoids eye contact to invite people to look at him, then he surreptitiously captures his shot.

He is scheduled to speak in cities throughout the United States in the upcoming months. After graduating from Montana State in May, Connolly plans to cover more of the world next summer, venturing to Africa, South America, and back to Asia, this time with a documentary film crew in tow. An excellent article on Connolly can be found here