Six questions for
Dónal Talbot

Tique asks six questions to an artist about their work and inspiration.
This week: Dónal Talbot.

Artist Dónal Talbot
Lives in Dublin, Ireland
Website https://www.donaltalbot.com

How do you describe your own art practice?

My practice is rooted in queerness. In particular, I’m interested in the representation and documentation of queer narratives. I often employ the medium of photography, and when I’m shooting I try to capture moments of tenderness with my subjects. In doing this, I hope to showcase elements of queer culture that are often disregarded. To me, these moments of stillness show how powerful and defiant queer people are by simply existing. There is a certain sense of intimacy at play in my practice, and I like to think of my photographs as conversations between myself and the person in front of the lens.

Which question or theme is central in your work?

My work aims to celebrate queer culture, which can often be a turbulent theme in  an increasingly hostile political landscape. With the growing pushback on LGBTQ+ rights the world over, I hope to create art that questions what it means to live authentically as a queer person in today’s world.

What was your first experience with art?

In my childhood, I remember quite vividly a box that lived on the shelf above my parents bed. In this box, there were stacks and stacks of photographs my parents had taken throughout their lives. Almost religiously, I would take the box down and sit on my mum and dad’s bed and sift through these photographs, laying them out on the bed in various sequences. There was something so grounding about the physicality of these photographs. They were moments and memories that I could hold in my hands. As a young kid, I found these old photographs emotive and visually striking . I don’t know if my parents would necessarily consider the photographs to be ‘art’, but for me they were the most artistic things in the world, and I would like to think that it helped me to become the artist I am today.

What is your greatest source of inspiration?

I’m inspired by many things. Art and activism; encountering new people and places; my friends and family; queerness; love and loss. I think inspiration can be found anywhere as long as you’re willing to embrace new experiences.

What do you need in order to create your work?

I need balance. I need to consider my health and happiness in my personal life while also looking for inspiration to create new work, which can often come from difficult experiences. I need to be in a state of mind where I feel creative and above all I need to be in an environment that feels safe.

What work or artist has most recently surprised you?

Nan Goldin’s ‘Ballad of Sexual Dependency’ will always be a source of inspiration for me. I rediscovered this body of work with the release of the documentary ‘All The Beauty And The Bloodshed,’ and fell in love with her photographs all over again. Her resilience is incredible, and her work makes me want to get angry and protest, but also fall in love and live life to its fullest.

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