SILENCE IS GOLDEN

I could not let the morning pass and move on to the ordinary things of the day without first getting down a short reaction to beautiful experience which I had last evening.
I was asked to open an exhibition of photographic works by a group of students at my old college.
I accepted.

The exhibition was developed for the space over an 11 week period
the idea of the project to allow the participants to feel the entire process of orgainising an exhibition.

The venue Moxie Studios is large!
Avery big space.
Very impressive!
Now you would think that given the short period of time involved that some aspect of such a large undertaking would falter,after all there is a lot to do to make something like this happen.
But no.
This was a flawless endeavor.
The space just sung of the  professionalism of all those involved.
During my very short address last night I tried to draw attention to how the group had created from a single common theme a very coherent experience for the viewer.
Its a pure treat to walk through these works and to find that as well as all humanity being there a history of modern photographic practice also unfolds alongside the chosen narratives of artists concerned.
From Instagram,to holga,to pinhole,35mm b+w and colour,medium and large format film and digital.

Presentation formats where all very well considered and all the questions about presentation seem to have been addressed before the artists occupied the space.The result being that the viewer was treated to an array of different display methods,some framed some glassless, some pinned or clipped,some large,some small,but nothing that jarred and upset the flow and that is a real achievement.
I can only assume that the level of community within the group is responsible for the way in which this whole endeavor hung together and it is a testament to the artists involved and indeed to the quality of the tutoring they have received over the last years!

the show remains open till may 3rd so if your curious to see how its done,
or indeed you want to take a walk through the city in one space,this is for you!
links below
http://iadt-silentmoments.com/index.html

A LUCKY BREAK!!

Audraí  O'Dwyer was in a great mood the night we met on Dublin's Grafton street,she was visibly excited about what lay ahead and was looking forward to her trip to Sydney Australia. she was due start a new job as communications Manager for the Urological society of Australia and New Zealand,on arrival

ITS ALL REAL!

I met Paul Horace in a queue to enter R.T.É. studios It was december and I was in A bit of a panic as to whether I could reach the 70 mark in time for production of my video piece(airs tomorrow,in most locations).

As it turned out there was no need to worry at all and we trotted over the line a couple of weeks ago with a little time to spare to learn all about the wonders of final cut x a serious mans video editing program.Paul was the only sitter I got from that audience with the country,it wasn't the best of shows 

but it did lead to this great shot.

NOT QUITE HOW I EXPECTED THINGS TO WORK OUT!!

Meet Kenneth D'arcy a Man who had to finish a course in building services engineering after the crash.
A man who's lifestyle choice came down to working in Domino pizza in swords or emigrating to Australia to work as a building services engineer! Yes it is all about choices!But you know there are factors which turn you one way or the other in this case Kenny was looking for a little fulfillment,self-esteem,and a firm future without the threat of the rug being pulled from under him! So he is gone like so many others to Australia.On the night he presented himself in good humor but I could feel the sense of resentment towards the establishment here in Ireland. Here is what he had to say" I feel like I don't have a choice anymore.If I want a career in engineering I have to leave. I KNOW I HAVE NO FUTURE IN IRELAND!!!
I really hope some day Kenny can come back and contribute to the next phase of the Irish success story.But my instinct tell me he will be in Melbourne for some years!!

OFF WE GO AGAIN!

I have to say the experience of shooting the leaving Dublin project has been for me a huge process.

On one hand you have the technical,the logistical,the weather,the locations,The Timing,the edits,the posts.

On the other hand you have the emotions,the people,the kinship,understanding,camaraderie,the empathy.

BLESSED BY THE MOON

Some weeks ago myself,Ray Hegarty,and Ian Monahan met with Elaine Bannon,A youth worker on her way to Australia.
on Elaines request we had made a plan to shoot at Kilmainham Gaol ,scene of many a killing and hotbed of English suppression of Irish rebels during the heady days of the Irish colony.
On arrival at the proposed site we found that an illegally parked car had scuppered our original plan to make a shot featuring the large wooden door at the end of the prison building(just like several other great Irish plans, fate fiddled it all up,we all should pay more attention to the laws of probability!).
But as good forward planning always counts for something,We had a contingency plan,to shoot a long shot along the long wall, that went all the way to Kilmainham courthouse.
Well,on we went,we welcomed Elaine onto the pitch and set about getting set up! She chatted with Ian and Ray about all that was going through her head and how as her departure date got closer ,she was feeling the sense of fear rising in her,fear of the unknown,fear of what the future held for her,fear for what her life had to become in the future.But all in a good way!

ON THE SUBJECT OF THE LIFESTYLE CHOICE!

Well its been a while. But here I go!
The last government of Ireland had numbed me, so much so that I became immune to their rantings, their obvious detachment, the silly unfounded statements and ridicuolus actions.
So when the new crew came along in a way I felt sorry for them and the mess they had taken on.
But the beast in me has been reawakened by our now minister for finance Michael Noonan and his leader Enda Kenny.
I suppose you could say I have had an epiphany on the road to the Malahide estuary to photograph another of our kind.  A hard working, loving, vibrant, reality, being forced to turn away and seek  feelings of worth in a mine in Perth Australia.
Oh now I realise what an empty system Irish democracy has evolved into.