Source
Autumn 2011

Photography galleries, museums and magazines create a community of interest. Some argue that this emphasis on the medium of photography is anachronistic, or, as one curator puts it “Dedicated photography galleries were at the forefront of fighting for artistic emancipation but now the fight’s won.” But, although the infrastructure of photography may be a historical accident, the ongoing conversation around photography, and the energy and commitment of the people who conduct it, is as strong as ever. And there is no better illustration of this enthusiasm than the startling reinvigoration of our photography galleries. Over the coming months three new galleries will open with more in development. This issue, from the news section through to the main features, looks at this renewal.

On the occasion of the exhibition of new photographic work at The John Hansard Gallery, Isabel Stevens interviews Jane and Louise Wilson. The artists are perhaps best known for their film work, although they have often used photography as source material or shown it alongside their films. They discuss their early staged photographic work and a return to making standalone photographic images.

Mary McIntyre’s new work continues her interest in the conventions of image making with regard to the landscape. Once again her pictures show spaces that are simultaneously domestic and still while also being disconcertingly and subtly disturbed. Declan Long discusses the work, referencing others working in the edgelands.

Vanya Lambrecht Ward has a background in theatre design and her work uses fragments of photographic prints incorporated into what might be models or props for stage sets. These photo-objects require a negotiation in the round. The physicality of the work also challenges the normally easy translation of photographic work to the printed page. They might be sculptures or, as David Brett describes them, they might be of “the class of objects that belong in no class”.

Source is a quarterly photography magazine, available in print and as a digital edition, published in Belfast, Northern Ireland. They publish emerging photographic work and engage with the latest in contemporary photography through news, thoughtful features and reviews of the latest exhibitions and books from Ireland and the UK. Their website brings together an archive of writing and pictures from the magazine alongside current features.¹