Dr. Ace Lehner: Trans Visual Culture and the Politics of Representation

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: Follow Ace: Follow Emily McElwreath on Instagram: ⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ @emilymcelwreath_art⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ Visit ⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ theartcareer.com⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠ for more episodes and resources If you loved this episode, tag ⁠⁠⁠ @theartcareer ⁠ ⁠⁠ and share your favorite insight on IG stories! Don’t forget to leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify—it helps more creatives discover the show. Sound Engineer and Production: Josh Craig Creative Direction: Nina Yankovic

You can listen to Dr. Ace Lehner: Trans Visual Culture and the Politics of Representation online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Dr. Ace Lehner: Trans Visual Culture and the Politics of Representation is an episode from The Art Career Podcast by Emily McElwreath.

This episode is 00:56:12 long.

This episode was published on Feb 12, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from The Art Career Podcast when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.