Knock Knock- A Celebration of Community by Sandra Bunting

Residents of the area off Henry St. known as ‘the West’ were featured in a stunning photo exhibition during the month of June at the Galway Arts Centre. The project, called Knock Knock, was the idea of photographer Jane Talbot who recreated the neighbourhood’s streets on the Arts Centre walls by taking pictures of people outside their houses. The result is a vibrant document of life in the centre of Galway.

It didn’t happen overnight. The idea was rolling around in Jane’s head for a long time. She had originally wanted to do the project on her old street in her native Donegal. Coming to Galway to work with Macnas in 1988, she finally settled in ‘the West’ a little over seven years ago.

“It couldn’t really be done until now because of the technology,” said Jane. “It would have been too expensive.” She explained that by using a digital camera, unwanted shots could be erased easily. The computer programme Photoshop allowed her to go back and line things up and even out footpaths to create a harmonious whole.

Besides being a resident herself, ‘the West’ proved to be an interesting subject. Jane pointed out what she considers its lovely architectural harmony. “The only difference in the houses is the colour,” she said. “Visually, it is very pleasing.” A clear identity and the strong sense of community in the area also appealed to her. “People look out for each other. Kids still play in the streets,” she said.

Besides being an artistic expression, Knock Knock is also a social exploration as Jane visited the residents of each house to plan photo sessions. A comment at the launch was that the project was a visual. Indeed Jane discovered a rich mixture of people, from families of several generations to a small multicultural mix of Poles, Hungarians, Italians and Spanish. There is also a successful merging of homeowners, private tenants and social housing.
Jane applauds the residents for their participation. “The positive aspect of this project was to see how people are willing to step forward and be counted in the community,” she said, adding the inter-relations among the residents and the general warmth of the area is noticeable in the photographs.

Jane Talbot studied photography under Joe Geoghegan and Terry Russell. Besides being a photographer, she works as a freelance stage manager with GYT, Town Hall Theatre Productions and Fibín Puppet Company. Not a stranger to community involvement, Jane is in charge of flowers and bush planting of in ‘the West”, the Small Crane and other spots.

The effectiveness of the exhibition is demonstrated by comments by residents on the canal side of Henry St., not officially in ‘the West’, wishing that they had been included.

It’s not every day that you can get everyone out on the street together. Another comment was that: “I knew all the dogs. Now I know the people.”