Words by Pearl Hill
Striking. Intimate. Endearing. These are just three ways to describe Hazel Gaskin’s images.
Gaskin operates on a global scale: born and raised in Dublin, currently based in London, and travelling worldwide, her portfolio comprises an eclectic array of documentary and fashion photography.
Having grown up in the shifting secular climate of Dublin until the age of 21, it is hardly surprising that much of Gaskin’s work broaches themes of transformation and religion. Her youth was backdropped by a duality of strict Catholic schooling — replete with confessions — alongside the waning of the Catholic Church’s dominance. Now, Gaskin gravitates towards sites of transition, a pull which has led her to document Ukraine, Belarus, Albania and Romania, all of which have been subject to redrawn borders. However, Gaskin insists that her work is neither political nor journalistic; she is not trying to prove a point or raise awareness. Rather, Gaskin hones in on the lived experience, documenting people’s quotidian habits. What resonates with Gaskin in settings of uncertainty is the unanimous pursuit of normalcy. Her photographs explore the paradox that, even in the face of disruption, people continue their usual habits, which may in fact be life-affirming rituals that are necessary to cope.
Having grown up on the coast, Gaskin is captivated by the sun-soaked leisure of the beach. Her camera often settles where the land meets the water, where waves froth and trickle, and where soft sunlight reflects off the sea to cast an ethereal glow on her subjects.
All of Gaskin’s images pulse with a throb of humanity, even when she is depicting inanimate objects. I quiz her about how she began taking pictures, and her answer testifies to her fascination in raw, human experience: she began by photographing her friends dancing in nightclubs. Her excitement is tangible as she recounts her infatuation with the hazed ambient lighting produced in this underground setting. I am transported to a scene characterised by bodies unified in movement, absorbing music, backlit silhouettes, and spotlit features.
The theme of adolescence frequently reappears in Gaskin’s work. The teenage years are a universal manifestation of change and transition. Returning full circle to her roots of capturing her own teenaged social life, many of Gaskin’s images highlight a sisterhood of girls on the cusp of maturity, exploring their identity through performance, makeup, and fashion. Hazel often depicts adolescents through the dramatised lens of competition and pageantry: heightened spaces in which identity is exaggerated.
Given Ireland’s traditional education system, which favoured the academic over the creative, photography did not appear as an obvious career path for Gaskin, so she began to assemble the puzzle pieces herself in order to reify her dream. At the age of 19, Hazel embarked on a trip to Japan, which sparked her to buy her first camera to document the experience. During her travels — whilst looking down the barrel of an uncertain future, and beginning to outgrow Dublin — Gaskin decided to pursue a career in the thing that she loved: photography. Although she jokes that she has no idea where these pivotal photos of Japan are now, what she invariably keeps close to her heart is the drive to turn her passion into a life’s work. As Dublin offered limited opportunities to train professionally as a photographer, Gaskin turned her attention towards London, which glistened with opportunity. Aged 21, Hazel trawled through the phone books, contacting hoards of photographers and eventually striking gold with an invitation to assist in a photography studio, which facilitated her relocation. Ever since then, her profile has flourished. Gaskin’s photography possesses a sensitivity to humanity which is undeniably instinctive. Whilst her eye for poignancy is second nature, Gaskin recently bolstered her credentials with a Masters in Sociology and Photography at Goldsmiths, providing a theoretical underpinning to her work.
Hazel tells me that she likes to work on a project basis, relishing the experience of immersing herself within a unique environment for an extended period. We are afforded a generous sneak-peak into an upcoming project which will showcase Ireland’s ‘Debs’. A fitting continuation of Gaskin’s interest in youth culture and ritual, the Debs are a rite of passage for many young people in Ireland. Hazel always photographs people who she feels an instant connection to, believing her best photos to be those which are unplanned and taken in a burst of feeling. Whilst there is certainly value in building a rapport with her subjects — such as the period of time she spent alongside a youth club in Belfast — nothing beats the excitement and immediacy of a spontaneous composition. Hazel welcomes the awkwardness and honesty which these confronting, intimate moments inspire. With humanity as the common thread at its crux, Gaskin’s interests remain varied and are constantly evolving as she encounters new sources of inspiration.
I am keen to know what Hazel Gaskin thinks about the role of photography within a home. She believes that the photographs which we choose to line our walls with are an extension of our personalities, an expression of our tastes and interests. On the walls of her own home, Hazel displays a curated array of prints by herself and by photographer friends who she admires. Amongst the collection is a photograph of Mia Khalifa holding a watermelon, as well as a portrait by Will Corry — also featured on Salon — of his grandmother. This particular photo is the exception to Hazel’s rule that having someone’s face on your wall can feel imposing. Amidst the high-end, there is still a place for sentimental ephemera, and Hazel dedicates a pinboard to snapshots of her children.