Artistic License: Niamh Swanton

The Co Waterford based photographer’s latest exhibition explores vulnerability and humour as a form of emotional catharsis …

I studied fine art in Crawford College of Art and Design in Co Cork. My photography focused on landscapes until one day I was messing with a friend when our lecturer asked me if I was a dancer. The conversation went from there to performative photographers. Famed American photographer Francesca Woodman was my introduction to the idea. This new form piqued my interest.

In the beginning, the images were a lot darker, but after a while my work grew more personal. I was coming out of an abusive relationship and it became difficult to look at the work. I think I started to use humour and bright colour as a way to make deal with the situation. Even now, the topics are still quite heavy, but colour and humour bring levity. Laughter can be the best medicine.

‘No worries if not’

For this exhibition, It’s All A Bit Of Fun Until Somebody Gets Hurt, I wanted it to play on the idea of childhood and the effects that small yet formative moments can have on us. It’s about how seemingly minor experiences can leave lasting imprints, shaping the way we navigate our way through life. I’m sure that a lot of people could think of names that they were called as kids that stick with them today.

Self portrait

This series is tied to personal memories. Much of my work draws from dream symbolism, where non-linearity and interpretive gaps feel natural or necessary. I wanted to place these objects in obscure, disjointed situations, almost like a game of Chinese whispers where recollections shift and parts are added or lost in the retelling. Certain objects repeat throughout the work, mimicking the way our mind replays memories, especially the unresolved ones. The repetition hints at how early experiences can take root in our subconscious, often resurfacing later as fixations or compulsions. One of my favourite writers is Franz Kafka. The absurdism of his work and that sense of aimlessness is a big inspiration for me.

‘Did I cross the line’

Sometimes, I have the title before I even have the work, but not always. I have a habit of taking idioms quite literally. Someone mentions opening a can of worms, and my mind instantly wonders, “Why would anybody own a can of worms anyway?” The pictures created in idioms spark a curiosity in that way.

‘Now you’ve gone and done it’

Creating a photograph is a process in itself. Sometimes, it happens quite naturally or, especially if symbolism is involved, you have to build a scene and learn how to connect the dots for the imagery to make sense. There’s the sense of breaking down an issue and figuring it out. The series makes up a tapestry of perspectives.

I’m curious why we are as we are. A psychologist once said that there should be an AA for people with generational trauma. Between colonisation and the church, the issues our parents dealt with are passed down through repeated behaviours. And that’s not only the case in Ireland – it’s a universal experience that generational issues become knitted into culture.

Adapted from Meadhbh McNutt, who wrote the captions for the exhibition.