David Davidson pays tribute to Bill Doyle, Dublin-born master photographer, who in these fond studies has left an indelible record of his country
I spoke with Bill Doyle at the opening of ‘The Moderns’ exhibition at IMMA in 2010. He was distinctly pleased to have his work included in this exhibition which awarded him much deserved recognition. Bill’s work is of national significance, representing the insight of a photographer in control of his medium, at home with his subjects and their environment. Utilising carefully observed lighting he created dynamic effect. This approach is employed in the picture of children in Smithfield and the man walking along Grand Canal Quay. His brilliant Christening image, an elliptical composition, featuring a priest with kindly face and gentle hands, amidst a group of mothers with their babies with the symbolic lighted candle, skilfully combines light, timing and visual acuity. To view his images simply through the eyes of quaintness or of history is to miss the point, his genius was in capturing essential aspects of everyday life, conveying the spirit of the country he knew and loved. Hopefully a representative selection of his work will be acquired for a national collection.
David Davison is an architectural and fine arts photographer.
From the IAR Archive
First published in the Irish Arts Review Vol 28, No 1, 2011