Graffiti Blues

Graffiti in Dublin lacks the charm and energy of that found in Melbourne, I think.

This is a welcome exception.

Gulliver and Dublin

This is a surprisingly often viewed photo on Flickr. It is one of a series taken over several years of sand sculptures in Dublin.

Mostly they can be found in Summer in an interior couryard in Dublin Castle, but since I'm not a great fan of the medium used I haven't bothered to upload any more.

I don't much like Swift's writing either and while Sweet Auburn was a favourite literary reference point for adults when I was growing up, I found his writing coarse. Rabelais has the same effect and the recent dramatisation on Radio Four left me with nothing to listen to for a dull hour on a Sunday night.

The official media are a puzzle... as is why so many people bothered to look at this somewhat indiffent photo.

The artist in this case was excellent, but since the work was surrounded by protective metal girders I found it really difficult to photograph it well. (An update... Oliver Goldsmith, not Swift wrote "The Deserted Village" and I've sorted the confusion out by posting on Widgetinghour. This post has reminded me, as if I needed reminding, that the pleasure of keeping a blog is that it involves uploading only material that one enjoys and not having to produce work that is paid for by others.)

My Home Town

Dublin has been home since the mid-1970's. It's a city that draws people from all over Ireland. Some stay for just a few years to work and establish themselves in a profession. Many find urban life easy-going and lively at the same time and stay forever.
There is much written about the urbanisation of the Planet at the moment. Living in the country is not as easy as it used to be as transport systems have been cut back and rural isolation has been studied by sociologists.

However the city is not immune when it comes to cutting back on resources. For the next year IMMA, the museum of modern art, will be mostly closed for renovation.
We have taken to haunting the National Gallery and the Hugh Lane for the time being...

Much Energy...

is now spent on keeping warm.

Even though the Summer was so cold, it was not a patch on the chilly nights we are facing now. I shouldn't moan, as last evening we went to a lovely local Italian restaurant where there is always a warm welcome and exceptionally good food. This treat was after a trip to the polls. Our new president will soon be in place and the less said the better about the waves of vitriol that have poured through the official media for weeks. Most people have lives and don't bother to cause trouble daily. Picking on public figures has become the latest blood sport for some.

I was going to go to Imma this morning. The Museum of Modern Art is always interesting, but laziness took over and it also seems more pressing to organise my own photos. A strange shift of perspective has happened. Now when I go to art galleries, I'm more interested in the shots of the building and grounds that I might capture, rather than the works on display.
This is a pleasant reminder of warmer days and shows that nature in Ireland and Britain is always a joy...

Art as Consolation

We went to Dublin Castle recently to enjoy the Georgian archicture and the plasterwork and stone heads inside and out of the Chapel Royal.

This has set me back rummaging through photos taken in Verona in May.


The marble pieces in the Archaelogical Museum were a highlight of a very interesing visit.
A place not to be missed.