Into the Sea
Gerry Blake
TLP Editions, PhotoIreland Foundation
English
Softcover
36 Pages
148x210mm
2018
Swimmers come to the sea for many reasons. For over a year, photographic artist Gerry Blake has been examining the ritual practice of regular sea swimming. Visiting more than 10 bathing areas, he depicts individual swimmers as they approach the sea at various times of the day. Into the Sea portrays them at their most thoughtful and reflective in the moments before they plunge into the open waters.
Swimmers in Dublin have the advantage of a large number of bathing places. Many were built over 150 years ago, when the coastal railway line was constructed. These iconic bathing spots have served many generations of swimmers, year-round, and continue to be places of both communal gathering and solitary meditation.
About the Artist:
Gerry Blake is a photographic artist based in Co. Wicklow. Born in Dublin, Gerry had a career in computing before taking up the study and practice of photography. After obtaining a post-graduate certificate in Photography and Digital Imaging from the National College of Art and Design (NCAD) Dublin in 2011, he completed his Master’s degree (MFA Photography) at the University of Ulster, Belfast in 2015. His work is held in public, private and corporate collections.
gerryblake.net
About the Publisher:
PhotoIreland Foundation is a volunteer led organisation dedicated to stimulating a critical dialogue around Photography in Ireland, and to promoting internationally the work of artists in and from Ireland. PhotoIreland is committed to the cultivation of a deeper and critical understanding of Photography. In 2010, PhotoIreland launched Ireland’s first international festival of Photography & Image Culture: PhotoIreland Festival. It celebrated Ireland’s first Book & Magazine Fair in 2011, dedicated to Photography, which was the germ of The Library Project, a unique public resource library focused on the photobook opened in 2013.
photoireland.org