Atmospheric Portraits Are Given Narrative In New Series By Gillian Hyland

©Gillian Hyland 'Look Away'

Presented as film stills or dramatic moments from around the world, Gillian Hyland's latest photo series is brimming with connotations of sex and desire, sadness and nostalgia.

Titled 'Words in Sight', the series is inspired by poems Gillian has written over the last 10 years and both the words and images, together, form a new book that Gillian has self-published. 

Her poetry depicts characters in human dramas and isolated emotional situations and she uses her images to further add theatre and colour to these ideas so those viewing the portraits engage and respond emotionally to what they are seeing. 

©Gillian Hyland 'Night Owl'

Commenting on her work, Gillian said: "I want the viewer to look at my image and see themselves. The use of sets and costumes is part of creating a story that we can all identify with, a past of which we can just recall parts. It’s not about creating a pretty picture, for me it’s the intention that lies beneath it that is truly worthwhile. I’m drawn to the thinking mind behind the face, the subject’s eyes holding a story in their gaze, that is what I aim to capture through my photographs.”

Each shoot can take weeks to set-up and each one is a real-life staged scene, all of which is styled by Gillian who has a background in styling and set design. The end results are images that have a cinematic feel to them, all of which have individual stories to tell. 

©Gillian Hyland 'Unforgiven'

Words in Sight will be the first published book of the works of Gillian Hyland, who has exhibited around the world and received several awards and a Kickstarter has been started to support the launch. The campaign aims to raise £12,500 and rewards range from a box of 25 postcards for a £25 donation to a whole luxury support package, including framed limited edition prints, signed copies of the book and an invitation to the London 2018 book launch for those who pledge to donate £4,500.

Selected works from the book will also be on display at the Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith in a solo show presented by Barbara Stanley from Thursday 28 September until Friday 3 November 2017.

©Gillian Hyland 'Hole In My Heart' 

©Gillian Hyland 'Too Much, Too Soon'

©Gillian Hyland 'No Goodbye'