“Street photographers are observers by nature. It is a way of connecting with the world and capturing moments that stand out.”
From early masters like Henri Cartier-Bresson and Robert Doisneau, to the contemporary works of Alex Webb, Martin Parr and Tony O’Shea, galleries and museums across the world have long recognised the importance of street photography as an art form. Now this weekend sees the Irish capital city focus its lens on the genre with the advent of the first ever Dublin Street Photography Festival (DSPF).
The festival which takes place over four days at Charlemont Square, Dublin 2, will feature an extensive exhibition of work by a host of international and Irish photographers alongside a great programme of lectures, workshops and guided photo walks. In addition, an outdoor exhibition of images by top international street photographers will also run at Charlemont Square throughout the month of May.
Festival organisers Des Byrne and Paul Murray of the Irish Street Photography Group say they are very excited about showcasing the talent and artistic visions of seasoned and emerging photographers and making it more widely available to the general public. Photographer Des Byrne says, “Our aim is to raise awareness of this wonderful art form and attract new street photography enthusiasts. This is a fantastic opportunity to hear from and see the work of renowned international and Irish street photographers. Through exhibitions, lectures, workshops and walks we want to excite image makers, inspire them and further develop their talents.”
The festival features a number of exhibitions, including the first Jill Freedman retrospective in Ireland, featuring images of her iconic work spanning many years. For those who may not be familiar with her, Jill was a world renowned, award winning photographer who published seven books and whose work is exhibited in the permanent collections of many museums including the Museum of Modern Art, International Centre of Photography, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
Participants can also look forward to seeing an outdoor exhibition of work by leading international street photographers including Gustavo Minas, Brian Lloyd Duckett, Gabi Ben Avrham, Martin U Waltz, Melissa O’Shaughnessy, Olga Karlovac, Polly Rusyn, Matt Stuart, Richard Sandler, Shane Taylor and Tatsuo Suzuki.
The festival also hosts a series of free lectures by leading international experts including Dublin’s own Eric Luke, a master behind the camera, who has worked as a staff photographer with Irish national newspapers for over 45 years, and UK based documentary and street photographer Brian Lloyd Duckett, the founder of Street Snappers and has written four bestselling street photography books.
In addition, lovers of street photography can also enjoy an exhibition featuring Japanese photographer Akihiko Okamura‘s Irish work, his first public showing in Ireland, which premieres at Photo Museum Ireland until July 6th.
The packed programme also includes a series of free and paid workshops on a wide range of topics including Street Photography with Matt Stuart, Street Portraits Using Film with Brendan Comey and Jim Leonard and Using Art and Surrealism To Create Engaging Photography guided by Kevin Lim.
The first ever Dublin Street Photography Festival (DSPF) will take place from May 3rd – 6th at Charlemont Square, D2.
DSPF is sponsored by McGarrell Reilly who are also hosting the venue at Charlemont Square.
For full programme details visit dspfestival.com
Words: Martina Murray
Feature Image: Jill Freedman
