8 27 July 2019 I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I subscribe 0330 333 1113E
amonn Doyle spent the best
part of 20 years running a
studio and record label
specialising in electronic music,
and looking at Made in Dublin it shows.
The design is edgy and vibrant with brutally
cropped images framed by white key lines,
and snatches of text arranged on trendy
orange backdrops. On fi rst viewing it leaves
you feeling as though you need a bit of a
sit down and an Alka-Seltzer (or perhaps
that’s my age), but give it
a chance and you’ll soon
fi nd it less dizzying. Artist
Niall Sweeney has played
a large part in the design
of almost all of Doyle’s
projects so far, and
his infl uence is clearly
a big draw.
Made in Dublin brings
together, for the fi rst
time, three of Doyle’s
series: i, ON and End,
each shot a stone’s throw
from his front door.
i primarily shows the
backs of strangers, most
of them elderly, as theymake their way along the city streets.
Doyle has purposefully excluded traffi c,
crowds and even the sky in these
compositions making each character
appear lost in an ocean of grey concrete.
There is an air of loneliness about these
fi gures; a feeling that they are being
pulled along by an invisible thread pulsing
beneath the streets. ON comprises
black & white pictures full of grit and
disillusionment. Some of the crops are so
tight, so unfl inching, that
they make you want to
turn away. End returns
to colour with images
presented as strips on
each page: a mundane
city walk becomes a
cinematic experience.
Seeing the three series
together (they originally
appeared as separate
self-published books) is a
wild ride, and you defi nitely
need the stomach for it.
But hang in there and you
might fi nd yourself feeling
strangely exhilarated.
★★★★★Tracy CalderAlso out now
The latest and best books and exhibitions
from the world of photography
Portrait of Humanity
In collaboration with 1854 Media and Magnum
Photos, Hoxton Mini Press, £22.95, 320 pages,
hardback, ISBN 978-1-910566-52-
‘THERE IS more that unites us than
sets us apart’ is quoted in the foreword
of this A5-size book, and is a very
poignant sentence summarising
Portrait of Humanity perfectly.
Showcasing 200 photos by various
photographers the book takes you
on a journey around the world and shares images of
people from all walks of life. Despite big global topics
being addressed (such as immigration and death),
it also focuses on simple day-to-day life. With each
turn of the page you get a real sense of what it means
to be human. The layout and order of this book has
been well designed, and some images make you feel
immensely emotional whereas others hit you visually.
Portrait of Humanity doesn’t break the boundaries in
terms of the photography it’s showcasing; however it is
one that has been executed to a high standard and
deserves full recognition for that. (See also page 66.)
★★★★★ Claire Gillo© EAMONN DOYLE© ROGER PALMER© EAMONN DOYLE
Made in
Dublin
Thames and Hudson, £35, 272 pages, hardcover, ISBN 978-BOOK
BOOK
BOOK
Spoor
By Roger Palmer, GOST, £40, 208 pages,
hardback, ISBN 978-1-9104-1-29-
BETWEEN 2014 and 2018, Roger
Palmer commenced on an epic road
trip across South Africa; he visited
around 500 places taking many
pictures en route. Spoor’s images
follow the mostly defunct rail routes in
the country. The term ‘spoor’ refers to
the track or scent of an animal or person, but in
Afrikaans it also refers to rail tracks. There are unusual
maps at the beginning of each series. They are blank
and yet the place names (some current, some
pre-Apartheid) are in their correct place. It’s as if
these locations have slipped out of time into a place
where the ghosts of South Africa’s history collide with
its present. Spoor is unusual and haunting, but it
confronts and updates South Africa’s history.
★★★★★Oliver AtwellBy Eamonn Doyle
Doyle’s series i features mostly
pictures of elderly strangersA tightly cropped
image from
the ON seriesKelty, Gauteng,
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