Sarah Allen introduces five shortlisted artists competing for the Gallery of Photography Showcase Contemporary Photography Award

When Susan Sontag spoke of the ‘insatiability of the photographing eye’ in her seminal treatise On Photography she could hardly have predicted the all-encompassing form this concept would take on in the new Millennium. Today photographs are everywhere and everyone is a photographer and as a result image quantity vastly outweighs quality. Although edging closer to literacy in this new visual language, we, the voracious consumers of imagery are charged with the daunting task of distinguishing the promising from the mediocre. The Gallery of Photography Artist’s Award pinpoints new photographic talent in Ireland. This year five artists have been shortlisted for the prize and will display their work in an exhibition entitled ‘Showcase’ to be held at the Gallery of Photography in December 2012. The output of these artists is a testament to the vibrancy and diversity of the medium today.
The realm of faith illustrated in the Book of Kells can be elusive to modern audiences; however, a new study by Bernard Meehan provides valuable insights into this peerless manuscript