Patrick Naughton
Irish Fine Art Photographer Specializing in Black and White Landscapes and Sea Views.

BEST IRISH ARTISTS
For a list of the leading Irish
painters, including exponents of
fine art phography, see:
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Patrick Naughton (b.1980)

Based in Dun Laoghaire, County Dublin, the Irish fine art photographer Patrick Naughton is noted for his range of monochrome pictures of Dublin city, suburbs and coastline, as well as a series of abstract photographs of nature.

One of Ireland's up-and-coming lens-based artists, his fine art photography is inspired by some of the greatest photographers from America including Ansel Adams and Paul Strand, as well as the contemporary Irish camera artist Liam Blake. Naughton's work can be viewed (in far better quality than the reproductions on this page) on his website (see below), or at the Gallery in Naughtons Bookshop in Dun Laoghaire. (See also the Northern Irish artist: Victor Sloan.) But see: Is Photography Art?

• For other postmodernists in Ireland, see: Contemporary Irish Artists.
• For the world's best, see: Top 200 Contemporary Artists.

POSTMODERNIST ART
For late 20th century paintings,
see: Contemporary Art.

Naughton's love affair with photography began from the moment he was given a camera by a relative, in order to take portrait snaps of his family.

After studying Photography and Digital Imaging at the Dublin Institute of Technology - where he focused on video installation and digital art - he "returned to his roots" and began to specialize in black and white landscape photography, using a 35mm and 6x6 film cameras. One of his key interests is the relationship between land and sea.

A major inspiration for the sweeping panoramas and wide horizons of Naughton's landscapes and coastal seascapes has been the work of Ansel Adams (1902-84), whose famous photographs like Storm in Yosemite Valley (1935), and Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico (1941), effectively became the foremost record of the scenery of US National Parks before the advent of tourism.

In his urban and abstract portfolios, Naughton has been inspired by the American fine art photographer Paul Strand (1890-1976): one can see it in his sharp eye for detail and, above all in his acute observation of abstract form and pattern in natural scenery like grass, sand, and the surfaces of water.

In addition to his rural, urban and sea views, Naughton has recently begun to explore the art of photographing people. If his portrait compositions are as acutely perceptive as his other work we should all be in for a treat.

Aside from his obvious photographic talent which shines through much of his work, one feels that Naughton is both restless and intensely curious about his art. One could never imagine him sitting on his laurels. On the contrary, my guess is that we haven't seen anything yet!

Our Opinion

This is a young man oozing with photographic talent. Anyone looking for high quality photographs of the Dublin city and county region, particularly outdoor landscape shots, should make a beeline for his website or visit his gallery in Dun Laoghaire. Prices start from €50, which includes free worldwide shipping.

To contact Patrick Naughton, or to see more examples of his work, visit his website: www.patricknaughton.com, or see his online gallery at www.naughtonsbooks.com, - or his blogsite www.irishartsblog.com.

• For more about contemporary artists in Ireland, see: Homepage.
• For details of famous painters and sculptors from Ireland, see Irish Artists.