Interview with Tajette O'Halloran

<p>In this interview with Australian photographic artist Tajette O’Halloran, we talk about the inspiration behind her projects like In Australia, The Quarry, and Regional Rituals. She talks about her difficult upbringing in the Northern Rivers area, and how that put her on a path to tell the stories of adolescence. </p><p><br></p><p>We also talk about parenting, incorporating our kids into our art, and her practice of incorporating both film &amp; digital into her work.</p><p><br></p><p>Based in Lismore, New South Wales, Australia, Tajette’s photography ranges from documentary to portraiture to conceptual. The common thread is examining adolescence and identity; both her own and others’.</p><p><br></p><p>Tajette’s projects include In Australia, where she revisits her hometown and creates scenes reminiscent of her youth, and the ongoing The Quarry, a series of portraits of young people at a local swimming spot. Her most recent project is Regional Rituals, commissioned by Powerhouse, a museum in Sydney, Australia.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>“Photography is nothing–it&#39;s life that interests me.” - Henri Cartier-Bresson </p><p><br></p><p>Index</p><p>0:00 - Introduction to photographer Tajette O’Halloran</p><p>1:52 - Tajette’s photo series In Australia </p><p>10:35 - How In Australia started</p><p>13:59 - Tajette’s narrative approach to In Australia</p><p>17:08 - Growing up in Lismore, NSW, Australia</p><p>17:55 - Regional Rituals, a new photo series</p><p>22:36 - Tajette knew as a kid her childhood wasn’t typical</p><p>26:02 - Processing difficulty though photography</p><p>29:01 - Tajette’s photos remind Zach of Sally Mann</p><p>34:18 - Mixing black &amp; white and color in a series</p><p>36:55 - How COVID affected photographers</p><p>40:26 - Tajette’s Earth and Water photos feel like parenthood</p><p>43:48 - Does Tajette feel like she’s rejecting mainstream society?</p><p>46:48 - Growing up in a mix of cultures in Lismore, Australia</p><p>48:40 - How Regional Rituals came to be</p><p>54:54 - The Quarry is an ongoing series of portraiture</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>Find Tajette</p><p>Website: <a href="https://www.tajetteohalloran.com/">https://www.tajetteohalloran.com/</a></p><p>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tajette.ohalloran">https://www.instagram.com/tajette.ohalloran</a></p><p><br></p><p>Find Zach</p><p>Website: https://zachdobson.com/</p><p>Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zachdobsonphoto/</p><p>TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zach