QX Magazine chats to photographer Tom Dingley about his upcoming photographic portrait exhibition of LGBT people at the Pride Arts festival.
Hey Tom, tell me about #outcome. What is it and what were you hoping to achieve with this project?
I wanted to shine a light for anyone who’s yet to come out and daunted by the prospect. My portraits show there is a life out of the closet and you can be who you want to be. I’m not attempting to sugar-coat the coming out process because it can be tough, but there is a happy life past that. #Outcome is a visual representation of the widely used ‘it gets better’ mantra. I want to encourage people to live their life and know they are not alone. All of us in the LGBT community have been there.
How long have you been working on it?
The first test shoot was in spring 2014, so the project is a year old roughly, but I’ve had other work on the go at the same time. So I’ve done a little here and a little there steadily over the past year. I’ve photograzphed 50 people to date, mostly found through social media – mainly Twitter – but also Arts Jobs listings and Facebook. Lately word of mouth has been useful.
Tell me about some of the responses you’ve had from #Outcome already?
From people I’ve photographed, all have been pleased to be part of a positive project, some have been happy to take part even though they’re not used to being photographed or even like having their photo taken. It’s the concept they’re keen on.
I had a lovely comment from an elderly lady who said: ‘it’s just love, isn’t it, whoever you are.’ I’ve also had the reaction that a project like this – and other similar projects – would have been beneficial to people when they were growing up, to not feel alone.
“My portraits show there is a life out of the closet and you can be who you want to be.”
So will this be your first time exhibiting something at Pride?
Yes, this is my first time in Pride exhibiting. I was part of a group exhibition last year at Brighton but I wanted – and knew – #Outcome deserved it’s own exhibition. It’s been great working with Pride in London and New Bloomsbury Set to get this exhibition in place. I’m really looking forward to it launching on Monday 22nd June from 6pm.
What do you want people to take away from it?
I want the audience to take away a sense that ‘being gay’ isn’t ‘being different’ and we can all lead successful and happy lives as an out adult.
So do you plan on keeping the project going after Pride?
I plan to keep adding to my project. I have 50 portraits in this current exhibition and will be adding to this in time for my exhibition at Brighton Pride in the Jubilee Library from July 17th. I want to get to 100 portraits before I start to think of a book. I want to take the exhibition to schools and colleges and have a visual presentation similar to equality talks and combating homophobia in schools.
• New Bloomsbury Set, Bloomsbury Monday 22 June – Sunday 28 June – See more at: prideinlondon.org/festival2015/#sthash.Gs3iMZe6.dpuf
