A BEAUTIFUL BEGINNING TO AN END!

Last December I had an email that set me on a course. The mail an invitation to show work in Washington D.C. later in the year. The course, to finish the project I had been working on for the last 4 years and to have a publication ready for said expo when it happens.
If I knew then what I knew now perhaps I wouldn't have set myself such ambitious targets. Work, work, work has been my song ever since as I have studied, planned and executed phase after phase of what has been to date and what will continue till the end to be a life changing experience. It would seem that I have at least 4 components of this project moving in parallel at any given time.


At this moment let me share one of these parts with you.
With a very big thanks to my  dear friend Mariane Goldberg I spent 10 days in Brazil traveling from the bustling Sao  Paulo to Curitiba and Santos in order to reshoot images of sitters from the earlier Leaving Dublin series in their new or renewed homes. On this trip I met with Raissa Oliveira do Prado, Richard Orciuch, Antoneila Girassol, and Graham Martin
It was a pleasure to catch up with all of them, to renew friendships, to empathize and to just spend some time talking. We have become very important to each other and we are all part of the telling of the story of a modern Ireland.
Apart from a tight work schedule I had time out to experience the amazing feel of Brazil from the nightlife to the food, to the heaving rush hour traffic on the streets and through the metro. It was an amazing experience from start to finish and so I continue to grow.
Whilst there I had a very productive meeting with the Prof. of Irish studies in the University of Sao Paulo hopefully more to follow here! Big thanks to Mariane once more for setting it all up!
Next up is a small exhibition at the weekend in Castlebar with a lecture/presentation of my work on Easter Saturday in the Folk Life Museum. Then on Tuesday April 22  I am off to Washington D.C. to promote my upcoming exhibition and book "On Leaving".
The work is being brought to the U.S. by Solas Nua see their site and Info here. Big thanks to them for teeing me up for this task.
Immediately after this I will dash around the States, Canada and Mexico in order to meet once more some friends and sitters and make new work for the book and expo that is upcoming.
It all been a huge experience to date and the roller coaster ride continues as I speed to conclusion later in the year.
There is no doubt about it that the work shown above of my friends in Brazil is an important chapter in the development of this work and a beautiful beginning to the end of this the most amazing experience, which leaves behind it the project as document  of the lives of the sitters and indeed of my movements through this time. AMAZING!

Please remember that the book project is live on fundit the crowd funding platform right  now and its the ideal opportunity for supporters of the project to insure they reserve a copy of this book whilst supporting the possibility of its production. Nothing will be charged until the final day of the offer and then it will only happen if the project is a success.
details here
Thanks again to all those who have supported the project to date Particularly Sinead Murphy, Jenny Power, Sharon Murphy, Louise Roden, Donall Curtin, Brenda Malone, Frank Brennan, Bruno Gendre, Javier Leite, Sonja Kroll, Attila Tassy, Photoireland Festival and Anne Gannon.
I hope to see many more friends and supporters of the project come on stream over the next few days as the process matures.
Big thanks as always
David