Slideluck Potshow Dublin

I've admired the idea behind Slideluck Potshow for a while - an evening of art, music and food where people are brought together to share a meal in a creative and inspiring environment. So I'm really happy to announce that my work will be featured in Dublin's first ever SLPS. The event is one of the many wonderful happenings in Ireland's capital this month, as part of the third annual PhotoIreland Festival.

Being chosen for SLPS Dublin is bittersweet since I can't be there on the night. This year I won't be able to enjoy PhotoIreland at all, having recently relocated to Shanghai. As amazing a time as I'm having here in China, I'm still jealous of everyone attending the many events happening back in Dublin!

To date, iterations of SLPS have taken place in about 50 cities around the world, from New York to Nairobi. Previous photographers who's work has been shown include greats such as Elliott Erwitt, Elinor Carucci, Alec Soth, Todd Hido and Gregory Crewdson, among many others. The work of established artists is shown alongside that of emerging artists and non-professionals and each event is localised and unique.

The Dublin edition of SLPS was organised by photographer Kate Nolan. The lineup was curated by Louise Clements of Format festival in Derby and Peggy Sue Amison, artistic director of Sirius Arts Center in Cobh and a great supporter of photography in Ireland. You can see a full list of the featured artists below. I'd like to single out artists Ciaran Dolan, Miriam O'Connor and Germán Peraire, whose work I am honoured to have my own featured alongside.

Find out more at the official website, where you can access their huge database of previously exhibited slideshows. If you're in Dublin on the 12th, drop in to Moxie Studios off Baggot St. at 7pm for a memorable evening of art, food and great company. Entry is 5 euro at the door or free if you bring along a home-made dish.

Long Way to Paradise

Barry W. Hughes, editor of SuperMassiveBlackHole photography magazine has curated an exhibition to be featured in both PhotoIreland festival and later, Belfast Photo Festival this summer. I was asked to take part - two of my images are included in the selection, alongside work by such great artists as Mark Curran, David Blackmore, Yaniv Waissa, Sarah Sudhoff and Paul Corcoran. For the full list of all 10 participating artists, visit this page where you can download a PDF catalogue for the exhibition. The show was held in Filmbase, Dublin, for the latter half of July, and will be on display in Platform Arts, Belfast, from Thursday the 4th of August.

PhotoIreland has been and gone - it was a fantastic month of photography - but Belfast Photo Festival is just about to begin. If you can I would recommend taking a trip to Northern Ireland's capital this August where there will be a visual feast awaiting you. Check out the festival website for more info.

Take Another Left at 'Block T', Dublin - Installation Shots

'Take Another Left' - Opening Night

Photos by Ashley Loftus.

Thanks so much to everyone who helped us out in the lead up to and during the exhibition, in particular: Grace, Ben, Colin, Miriam, Dorje, Pat, Jerry, Billie, Mella, David, Kate, Tansy, Ashley, Paul, Ciara and the rest of the PhotoIreland volunteers, Angel and Claudi, Nick and all the crew in Block T. Thanks to Becks for providing the beer, and finally - thanks to everyone who came along! It was a great night!

It was a pleasure and a privilege to show my work alongside Shane's. You can see some of his amazing work here.

Congratulations to Patrick Hough and Niall O'Brien who also had openings in Block T on the night, as well as Mella Travers whose exhibition 'Liquidity' was already underway in the upstairs gallery. All three exhibitions were first class.


EDIT:

Niamh Ní Shúilleabháin of Irish language radio station Raidió na Life was in Block T on the night with her microphone at the ready. She recorded an interview with me which was broadcast in the greater Dublin area. You can listen to it here - my interview is about 10 minutes into the show.

Take Another Left

This year's PhotoIreland Festival is shaping up to be something really special, so it gives me even greater pleasure to announce that I will be exhibiting alongside the extremely talented Shane Connaughton as part of the programme (Shane has just been featured in the latest issue of Viewfinder magazine. Check it out here).

'Take Another Left' opens in Block T on the 7th of July. More details can be found here (feel free to click the 'like' button on the event page to put us in with a chance of winning the 'people's choice' award this year!).

Have a look at the festival programme, it's absolutely jam-packed with exciting events, lectures and exhibitions. I'm particularly looking forward to the talks by Martin Parr, Markus Schaden and Bruno Ceschel (of Self-Publish, Be Happy).

A lot of credit has to go to Angel Luis Gonzalez, the creator and director of the festival, for curating such an inclusive and well-rounded event. Roll on July!