Gearóid Dolan, known professionally as screaMachine, began performing at Dublin punk events in 1981. They developed a distinctive style incorporating audio, film, animation, and props, leading to exhibitions at the Irish Exhibition of Living Art (1985) and Temple Bar Gallery (1987).

After relocating to New York in 1987, Dolan adopted the moniker "screaMachine" for their work, launching with a performance series at ABC No Rio. They became active in New York City's underground performance scene, creating street interventions and exploring new media. Their work gained recognition at Franklin Furnace with the "Survival... Against All Odds" series (1989) and at MoMA PS1 with a month-long installation and performance series (1990). In 1992, they returned to Dublin for an exhibition at Trinity College.

Throughout the 1990s, Dolan embraced digital media and video projection. From their Manhattan storefront studio, they created multi-screen animated video installations for nightclubs and underground spaces, pioneering early web-streaming video works. In 1996, they established their online presence at screaMachine.com.

Dolan debuted their "Drive-By" interactive video animation street intervention at the 1999 DUMBO Arts Festival, beginning a 13-year relationship with the festival. Their first solo gallery exhibition opened at the Moving Image Gallery in SoHo (2000). Since then, they have received five New York State Council on the Arts awards for Film, Video and New Technologies, supporting large-scale performances and technological innovation.

Beginning with the Iraq War protests in 2003, Dolan has documented social movements through "Protest," an ongoing series of semi-animated films for installations, performances, and interventions. Their work has been featured internationally at venues including The Kitchen (New York), Westbourne Studios (London), Western Front (Vancouver), Tulca Arts Festival (Galway), FILE (São Paulo), Darklight Festival (Dublin), Inport (Estonia), and TEDx NYC.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dolan created interactive films and applications for remote audience engagement. In 2021, they released the award-winning feature documentary The Biggest Obstacle, examining disability rights activism, and the short film Protest: Queer Liberation March.

Since 2000, Dolan has taught digital media at Cooper Union and Hunter College, and currently teaches at MIT.