He Suffers With His Nerves by Hue Hale
The male psyche is a problematic entity, and when drawn out into the harsh light of analysis and discussion reels, yearning to retreat back into the darkness. In Modern Ireland, the notion of a man seeking support for mental health issues, despite numerous awareness campaigns and the like, is still heavily weighted with stigma and shame. This project is a document of the emotional turmoil a young man faces in his everyday life. In photographing his body and the surrounding spaces in which he feels the most at war with himself, the feelings of isolation, insecurity, and melancholy are encompassed. Through this process, the project becomes transfigured as his mental anguish itself has been used as a catalyst for the recovery of his mind. Thus, the project functions as a method of therapy.
Hue Hale is a visual artist who was born and raised on the Northside of Dublin City, Ireland. With a background in fine art photography, his work focuses on conceptualising the darkness faced in everyday life, exploring his identity and mental health. Hale frequently utilises self-portraiture and the documentation of his body to portray the mindset he’s in. Introspection and re-evaluation are integral components in the projects he undertakes. He uses visual art cathartically, as a method of healing and therapy. Hale’s work has been exhibited and published throughout Ireland, Europe & the US. His graduate project ‘He Suffers With His Nerves’ which serves as a document of the fragile mental health of a young queer man in Ireland, has been very well-received in particular. Hale has since immigrated to Berlin and immersed himself in the vibrant queer community there, this decision has significantly impacted his work. While in Berlin he completed his project ‘He Wasn’t There’ which was about capturing the impermanence of a lover’s presence and the identity of the subject in the images when a co-dependent relationship crumbles. This project was then chosen to be exhibited by Hosek Contemporary a notable queer-led gallery in Berlin, thus becoming Hale's first solo show. Since the pandemic began the themes in Hale’s work have turned a new direction. To combat the enduring monotony of the pandemic he now adapts elements of fantasy into his art as a vehicle for escapism.
