My Last Day at Seventeen
Doug Dubois

Doug DuBois was first introduced to a group of teenagers from the Russell Heights housing estate while he was an artist-in-residence in Cobh, on the southwest coast of Ireland. He was fascinated by the insular neighbourhood, in which “everyone seems to be someone’s cousin, former girlfriend, or spouse.” DuBois gained entry when two participants of a workshop he taught took him to a local hangout spot, opening his eyes to a world of not-quite-adults, struggling through the last days of their childhood. Over the course of five years, DuBois returned to Russell Heights. Combining portraits, spontaneous encounters and collaborative performances, the images in “Doug DuBois: My Last Day at Seventeen” hover between documentary and fiction. A follow-up to DuBois’ acclaimed first book, “All the Days and Nights,” this volume examines the uncertainties of growing up in Ireland today while highlighting the unique relationship between artist and subject. ¹

Doug DuBois (b. 1960) is an American photographer based in Syracuse, New York. He is an associate professor and department chair of Art Photography at the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Syracuse University. ²

Aperture, a not-for-profit foundation, connects the photo community and its audiences with the most inspiring work, the sharpest ideas, and with each other—in print, in person, and online. Created in 1952 by photographers and writers as ‘common ground for the advancement of photography’, Aperture today is a multi-platform publisher and centre for the photo community. From their base in New York, they produce, publish, and present a program of photography projects, locally and internationally. ³