Close To Closure

Close to Closure is an ongoing group exhibition, in Dublin, where I'm presenting a series of wet plate portraits I took recently. The exhibition brings together eight photographers (myself, Rebecca McGetrick, Artur Sikora, Sharon Murphy, Jeanette Lowe, Calin Ploscar, Fiona O’Donnell and Hugh McCabe) from different backgrounds and nationalities who first came together in NCAD in 2009. 

Close to Closure is our first time exhibiting together and it is a of part of Irish photography festival -PhotoIreland 2012. We had a vibrant and nice opening on last Wednesday night with artist Sean Hillen launching the exhibition. Below is an example of some of the nine portraits I'm showing, but there is much more intersting projects on the walls, so if you are around please drop in. Tomorrow is the last day! 

Location : Backloft Gallery, Augustine Street, Dublin 8.

Adam

Sarah

Lucy

and the instalation itself, on the wall:

Hiawatha's Photographing @ Americana & RootsWeekend

(click the image to enlarge)

The above poster (des. Kasia Kesicka) promoted a collodion portraiture event, which took place during Americana & Roots Weekend in Greystones, (Ireland) last weekend, and was organised by my collodionist friend Kasia Kesicka and myself.

It quotes a poem of Lewis Caroll, British writer and poet, best known as author of 'Alice in Wonderland', who was also a passionate photographer - 'collodionist'. He wrote the above poem about the wet plate collodion process and we decided to honour the event with the same title. (whole poem HERE)

It was a vibrant, very interesting weekend and I must say - everything went very well. We met with a big interest from the public and had quite a few happy clients, who decided to have their own ambrotypes or ferrotypes.

Although we both already worked on location earlier, it was a first time when we took part in re-enactment event, open for the public. We had plenty of concerns (i.e. if and how to varnish plates on the spot), but I think we created a well organised team and managed everything well. (plates taken on Saturday were varnished at home and were ready for collection the following day, and on Sunday plates were varnished on the spot, with traditional varnish)
We also learned a lot from each other as we use different collodion receipts, different equipments and Kasia works mostly with metal plates, myself - with glass.
All in all it was a great experience!

Gallery of ambrotype portraits taken: