Artist in the Community Solstice Solargraphs

Solargraph by Mags Reilly Sherkin Island 28-09-08 - 21-12-08

Solargraph by Jo Jefferies Sherkin Island 28-08-08 -21-12-08

Congratulations Mags & Jo, your solargraph images are really great. I hope you like them too!

Solstice Solargraphy

This solargraph was exposed for 6 months using a film can, It was collected in very wet weather . When I brought it home, I took the paper out of the cannister to dry in the hot press. The changed orientation of the sheet caused the image to slip in the wet surface, almost entirely obscuring the sun track - I am not unhappy with this - the surface is richly textured giving a caustic appearance.

Solstice Solargraphy

Harvest time has come. Even though we are in the middle of winter, my crop is ripe. Six months ago at the Summer Solstice, I put out loads of pinhole cameras. Now today on the Winter solstice, its time to bring them home. These are the initial results and I am really pleased.










This solargraph was taken using a Sharwoods curry can , with the photographic paper wrapped cylindrically around the can. The pinhole was on the cap and laid horizontally about 6ft off the ground. I can't decide which I prefer positive or negative.





This solargraph was taken using a coffee can pinhole camera from Camden Road, Crosshaven facing into Cork Harbour. I probably had it pointing a little far North as there is little evidence of sun tracks.

Sherkin Artist in the Community Dec 2008

Ok I know I am a bit slow getting these images up. I developed the images straight away when I got home and was really disappointed with the negs. With all the chaos of working in the office and moving into the hall. the paper must have got flashed - so despite all our efforts to use the meagher correctly - we were foiled.

Anyway eventually i did get round to scanning the images and to be honest the positives are much better than I could have hoped from first glance at the negs - one or two images did not come out at all.

So now I am determined to come in on the 4th of January on the 10:30am ferry and with your help set up a darkroom so that we can get immediate feedback on what we are doing.

Public Art

“So what separates the work artists do in the area of social interaction from the work of people doing similar things, but who don’t label themselves artists?

If the work is looked at from an aesthetic perspective, it can fail in social terms, but still function as art….

If the project is assessed for its effect in producing social change in the world beyond the event itself it can be seen as a failure.

But if the event is viewed as having created a space for people to discuss and learn more about a wide range of issues, it succeeded…"

You can be a failure while still being a success".

Catherine Harty

from script of video performance for Art in the Lifeworld,

Breaking Ground, February 2008

Sound and Light - Sons et Lumiere

A few years ago I went to an exhibition at the Pompidou and the experience has stayed with me ever since. In particular the piece, L’EXPÉDITION SCINTILLANTE, ACT 2, UNTITLED (LIGHT BOX), by Pierre Huyghe affected me deeply.

This was simply a double layered light box, with music and dry ice shown in a darkened space. It had the essential elements to reach out to each viewer/audience member and people moved reluctantly on from the room. It conjured other worlds elsewhere in fact and fiction.