Source
Winter 2006

Xavier Ribas is interested in the invisibility or indifference of a historical site. His new work was made in Guatemala on the edges of archaeological excavations of pre-Columbian Maya civilisation. Here the peripheral sprawl of the city is of secondary archaeological interest compared to its ceremonial centres and elite residential areas, and it tends to remain unexcavated, deep in the rainforest. Through the perception and intuition of something that is hidden he offers an alternative framework to appreciate this historical presence.

David Spero’s new work Churches features none of the symbols of status and power associated with religious architecture. The work documents a random collection of buildings, put into the service of religion, including industrial units, houses, garages and pubs. Writing about the work David Brett traces an eccentric tradition of premises used for religious congregation. One that is removed from the centre, but is setting itself up as a countervailing force, thus creating a new centre for its participants.

Peter Neill’s photography draws on his early childhood interpretations of the world. His new work presents his versions of the parables based on his childhood reading of the bible. In his picture of the feeding of the five thousand there seems nothing incongruous about the fish arriving in a Prince’s sardine tin.

Louise Maher’s Fathers is a series of portraits depicting retired and semi-retired clergymen published alongside extracts of interviews by the artist in which they talk about why they joined the priesthood. She has chosen to photograph them away from the pulpit in their home environments. Framed by their personal belongings we get a hint of the individuals behind the clerical collars.

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