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:

Killruddery Exhibition photographs

Last Sunday it was a last day of my exhibition 'Killruddery. Reflections on glass. '  Straight after that I went on my holdays, so now I'm fnishing this short post (from Italian Dolomites:)

The opening on Thursday the 15th, was lovely, with an interesting mix of people (photorelation).

During the exhibition there was a big interest in works and the process, and my first public presentation went very well (althought there was a small issue with a developer)

Thank you all my visitors, (and buyers:). Those who didn't manage to see the exhibition can have a look at some of the works (most of them) below :

'Killruddery. Reflections on glass' - WPC exhibition

A while ago  I've started a documentary series about Killruddery Estate, what I've mentioned in one of my previous posts here.
This project is now ending with an exhibition of my works, opening today in the evening (15th Sept) in The Stable Studio, Killruddery House and Gardens, Bray, Co. Wicklow.
During the exhibition (18th Sep) I will also give a talk and present the technique of WPC.

Everything started with photographs I took in my friend's workshop (In Jamese's workshop), where I found beautiful pieces of statues waiting for renovation. These were Killruddery statues, and James told me about this place.
James is a wonderful man, he worked in Killruddery for quite a long time, has a big passion for this place and would tell you a lovely story about each subject from my photographs, giving them a much deeper sense.

When I visited The Gardens I thought it will be a really great idea to document them and that wet plate will be the most suitable technique. I knew that collaboration of WPC and historical surroundings of Killruddery House will create an interesting photographs, giving a sense of the long tradition of this beautiful place and giving an honour to its uniquity.

It was a hard but satisfactory work. It was a challenge. I think everything wrong what can happen when working with WPC on location, happened there, (not mentioning details like changeable Irish weather,rain and wind, forgotten parts of equipment, etc) but even then some of the photographs turned out very well and this is what I love about WPC, I really welcome all the uncernity and imperfections that it brings.(however still practising my patience)
I spent a few following Mondays/Tuesdays in Killruddery running around with my plates, here is the proof:

I am looking forward to today's evening, hope everything will go well and the visitors will enjoy the exhibition.

I would like to dedicate the exhibition  to James, thanking him for inspiring me to undertake the Killruddery project and also for all his help with building or repairing my photography equipment.

WPC exhibition photographs to follow...

Exhibition Dates:

16-20 Sep 2011, 9.30 a.m - 5 p.m
23-25 Sep 2011, 9.30 a.m - 5 p.m

Talk and presentation of the Technique:
18 Sep 2011, 2 p.m

 

The Stable Studio. Killruddery House and Gardens

Southern Cross

Co. Wicklow

Peoples Photography 2011

Peoples Photography is a great, open air, photography event taking place every year in August, in the centre of Dublin. It gathers together photographers of all age and experience.  Photographs are exhibited on the railing of St. Stephen's Park. It is a great opportunity to exchange the knowledge and get feedback from friends photographers and the public. I really enjoyed it last year and I'm taking part this year,this time with cyanotypes and collodions, See you around.

Peoples Photography
27th & 28th August
9 a.m - 6 p.m
St. Stephen's Green

my space last year:

Positive - Negative. Experiments with ambrotypes

At the time when I'm writing this (23.07.2011) there is an interesting exhibition taking place in Dublin, called Chasing Shadows 2. It is dedicated to 19th century photographic processes and gathers together artists photographers, who are using them. Presented processes are, among others, cyanotypes, Van Dykes, Palladium, and four projects (including mine) use wet plate collodion.

Very shortly before the exhibition, knowing that there's going to be more collodion works presented,(and as always having problem to choose from my existing works), I decided to experiment with the way of presenting clear glass ambrotypes and also to make some new ones.

I end up with a play: Positive - Negative. I concentrated on this specific feature of ambrotypes and mounted my works with a distance to the background, on which I painted with black paint only the chosen areas, leaving the rest on white, as underexposed negative.

This play created kind of a three dimensional effect. I think it also encourages the viewer to closer examination, exploration with different angles and ..imagination.
I think I might experiment more with different backgrounds and layers in the future. (i.e different photographs..)

oryginals scanned with black bacground:

scan of already mounted works:

on the wall:

Exhibition information:

18 July 2011 - 31 July 2011 

Centre for Creative Practices

15 Lower Pembroke Street

Dublin, Ireland

The photographers involved include: Claudi Nir, Louis Haugh, Kamile Matulaityte, Ian Mitton, Jamie Maxwell, Dominic Turner, Meave O'Neill, Caitriona Dunnett, Gwen Wilkinson, Kasia Kesicka, Orla O’Brien, Alison Baker Kerrigan, Monica Fabijanczyk, Jason Lowe, Niamh Raftery, Monika Chmielarz, Dominique Beyens, Adrian Reilly and Lucy Nuzum.

http://www.chasingshadows.org/description2.html

RHA Annual Exhibition

Just a short announcement : this plate takes part in the Royal Hibernian Academy Annual Exhibition, taking place

25th May - 30 July,

15 Ely Place, Dublin 2.

Today there was a very vibrant varnishing day, all is looking great!!