Island Talk 6
27th September 2023
Talk 1 - Myles Shelly
Myles Shelly is a Dublin-based photographer, specialising in portrait, landscape and editorial work.
He presented a work-in-progress, In our Nature (working title), which looks at conservation and nature management in Ireland in a time when we exert more influence than ever over the natural world.
Humans have been modifying nature for millions of years. We can see examples of this throughout our history and the desire to reshape our environment may have deep evolutionary roots. To illustrate this, Myles has been making landscape images on Bull Island in Dublin Bay as well as documenting scientific studies and the activities of local conservation groups.
Talk 2 - Aoife Shanahan
Aoife Shanahan is a visual artist based in Dublin, Ireland. Her work explores how the photographic medium can be pushed beyond its traditional boundaries to create new modes of visual communication.
Experimentation is a key element in her practice and is driven by a strong interest in camera-less photography. Working exclusively in the darkroom, this experimental approach means paring everything back to the simplest of ingredients: light, paper and chemistry. While there is a sense that analogue materials are being discontinued and discarded, there is always the continued desire to explore their essential qualities and find new ways to represent the world around us.
She presented her current series BioTrace, which explores the impact of two diverse ecosystems colliding and highlights the resulting irreversible changes. Pieces of silver gelatin film are layered with nutrient agar and exposed to a source bacteria which feed on the film’s emulsion. As the culture grows the emulsion is destabilised and the silver particles are displaced creating abstract patterns. The film is permanently altered and damaged by this foreign presence.
This work prompts us to consider our role in the destruction of biodiversity that creates the conditions for diseases such as Covid-19 to arise. Rapid urbanisation, population growth and increased demand for natural resources disrupt ecosystems bringing people in closer contact with animal species more than ever before increasing the chance of disease and further pandemics.
Liam Murphy is an Irish photographer living in Dublin, who combines personal work with commissioned and editorial projects.
He presented work from his project, Phases.
“My Dad, Frank, is 90. Dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2017. Alzheimer’s is a form of dementia, it is degenerative and at present there is no cure. There are over 64,000 people in Ireland currently living with dementia. Sometimes Dad asks the same question again and again and can need help understanding things. Dad takes great wonderment from the smallest of things.
My daughter, Decca, turned 3 in August. She was born during the pandemic. She is healthy and happy. There are roughly 60,000 three year olds in Ireland today. Sometimes Decca asks the same question again and again and can need help understanding things. Decca takes great wonderment from the smallest of things.
Dad shrinks while Decca grows. Dad’s eyes get smaller as Decca is increasingly bright-eyed. Dad is slowly retreating from life while Decca is constantly thirsty for more knowledge. I’m aware that I’m slap bang in the middle of both of them. A care giver to both. My project Phases documents the similarities and contrasts involved in this care.”
