shane.deegan@gmail.com
Shane Deegan is an Irish photographer known primarily for his portraiture.Through his distinctive blend of cinematic and painterly influences,he creates work that is both timeless and intimately personal.
Deegan’s work is deeply inspired by his interest in both art history and cinema,shaping his compositional style and thematic approach. Shooting primarily on film and in a 6:9 aspect ratio,he playfully references many classical portraiture and cinematic tropes. His work is characterised by a thoughtful interplay between artifice and realism. Often carefully constructed images achieve a sense of illusionary depth while maintaining an intimate connection with his subjects.
Meanwhile,his photography often explores the intersection of grandeur and normality,seeking to collapse the formal aesthetics of art historical painting into the everyday.His lighting and compositional techniques draw heavily from the Dutch Golden Age of painting,with a particular focus on the Delft School and the work of Johannes Vermeer and Carel Fabritius.
Influences extend beyond classical art,encompassing contemporary photographers such as Nan Goldin, Corinne Day, and Diane Arbus.He shares Goldin’s raw,intimate approach to photography,capturing moments of domesticity to elevate the everyday. Day’s focus on photographing outsiders and Arbus’s fascination with the unconventional also find echoes in Deegan’s work.Additionally,William Eggleston’s saturated color palettes and his ability to evoke a sense of time and place are key reference points.
Whether working on personal projects or commissions,he approaches all his photography with the same meticulous attention to detail and emotional depth.
His portfolio includes a notable body of work documenting the area Hackney,offering an intimate portrayal of the area,his friends and and its local community in the early 2000s.
Nominated twice for the prestigious Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize (2005 and 2007) and the International Photography Awards in the fine art category in New York(2006).
Deegan’s photography has featured in publications including but not limited to Vice,Conde Nast, Tokion, NME,Wallpaper,Dazed and Confused,and i-D Magazine.He holds a BA(Honours)degree in photography from UCA(2001)
His portrait commissions include prominent figures such as Richard Hawley,Billy Childish,Yinka Shonibare MBE,Carrie Fisher,Harold Pinter.He has also been commissioned by institutions such as the British Library,Philips de Pury,Conde Nast,the Royal Academy,and Artangel.