HEADLESS URBAN EXPRESSION

There Is Much To See Here

LIBERTY LANE OFF KEVIN STREET

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SOME CLAIM THAT GRAFFITI IS LEGAL HERE

Liberty Lane is a short, narrow lane in Dublin, Ireland, running from Lower Kevin Street to Camden Row. It is located in the historic Liberties district, which was once home to many of the city’s working poor. Some people claim that the lane extended from all the way from Kevin Street to Portobello but I am not convinced that it ever did.

During online searches I have frequently seen this lane described as being a legal location for street art and it is implied that it is legal because property owners have given consent. However, my understanding is that property owners cannot give consent without planning permission.

www.legal-walls.net/country/ireland
www.garda.ie/en/crime/criminal-damage/property-crime-graf…
www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/dublin-needs-to-catch-up-and-…
www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/18/dublin-city-council…

DJ KAREN STILL IN ACTION AFTER THIRTY YEARS

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STREET ART ON DAME LANE

DJ Karen has worked on the DJ circuit for the last 3 decades. She started working in The George in late 1994 and thankfully is still there.

Opened in 1985, The George began as a gay-owned venture, eight years before homosexuality was legalised in Ireland. It was subsequently purchased by the group of bars and clubs owned by the Capital Bars Group and today it is owned by the Mercantile Entertainment Group who own several venues around the city including the popular music venue, Whelans.

Originally a traditional pub on the corner of George’s Street, The George was purchased by Cyril O’Brien who loved the atmosphere of the bar but wasn’t quite so sure about the décor and thought the place could do with a revamp. In 1984 the area above the pub was transformed into a gay disco bar called ‘The Loft’, with the downstairs pub remaining as a straight venue. In May 1985 the venue expanded downstairs to the area now known as ‘Bridie’s Bar’, at which point the overall venue became known as The George. Eventually, The George became a dedicated gay bar.

It was only the second bar in the city to be owned by a gay proprietor and to be opened specifically as a gay bar; the other was ‘The Viking’ on Dame Street. Prior to this point, the city had multiple ‘gay friendly’ bars, however these venues did not openly trade as gay bars or advertise for LGBTQ clientele.

STREET ART UNDER THE BRIDGE

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BALLYMORE COMPLEX AT THE 8TH LOCK ON THE ROYAL CANAL

The 8th Lock on the Royal Canal is a well-constructed canal lock that forms part of a wider collection of locks, bridges and lock-keepers’ houses associated with the Royal Canal on its journey from Spencer Dock to Longford town. Displaying quality masonry skills and early eighteenth-century engineering, it attests to the importance of the canal’s role at the time of construction. Fully functioning, this lock serves recreational use today and remains an important element in the architectural and industrial heritage of north Dublin.

The 8th Lock residential project comprises five sections which are between four and thirteen storeys high and due for completion between October 2023 and March 2025. It is just 300 metres from the new Pelletstown railway station which I also visited today.

The 8th Lock complex, on the site of the former Ormond Printworks (I was an employee many years ago) on Ratoath Road, will eventually comprise 218 one-bedroom and 217 two-bedroom apartments, and 4,200sq m of commercial and amenity space. This will include public plazas, a healthcare centre, pharmacy, own-door offices and a gym. Some 255 car parking spaces, electric vehicle charging points, disabled parking and nearly 950 bicycle parking spaces will be provided at surface and undercroft levels.

The 8th Lock is the first large development In Ireland or in the UK to make use of a pioneering low-carbon product known as CarbonCure. This allows recycled CO₂ to be embedded into fresh concrete during mixing without compromising performance. To date CarbonCure Technologies has prevented over 174,000 tonnes of CO₂ being released into the atmosphere, with millions more set to be sequestered into the future. Ballymore is employing the technology with Kilsaran at the 8th Lock.

WHILE WAITING FOR THE HUNGRY MEXICAN TO OPEN I EXPLORED THE BACK LANE

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URBAN EXPRESSION ON BEDFORD LANE

Today I decided to have lunch at the Hungry Mexican on Aston Quay but when I arrived I discovered that they did not open until 4PM so I decided to spend about thirty minutes exploring the lane complex behind the restaurant as well as other parts of Temple Bar. Fortunately I had my iPhone 12 Pro Max which I use as a camera rather than as a phone. However, I had some problems with the device as I have a beta version of the operating system installed and it had automatically updated overnight and the update impacted on the performance of my Halide Camera app.

“The Icon Walk Dublin is a multi-street public art installation which showcases original artwork by many different local artists of Irish icons from many disciplines including: writers and playwrights, sports icons, musicians, and actors from the performing arts. The Icon Walk Dublin is accessible and relevant, collaborative and inclusive, efficient and adaptable. It is a sustainable and economical model for public art projects, that is truly iconic and inspirational.”

The Icon Factory is a not-for-profit co-operative of Dublin based artists. It consists of a small workshop, gallery and shop. However, their main contribution to the area is the Icon Walk and having spoken to one artist it is more than possible that they could operate equally well from another location and still maintain and even enhance their Temple Bar activities.

I IMMEDIATELY KNEW THAT THIS ART WAS BY CLAIRE PROUVOST

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MURALS AT TARA STREET STATION

Claire Prouvost is a French graphic designer and illustrator living and working in Dublin. She loves to paint women in a cubist inspired style, using gouaches for their vibrant colours. Her colourful work plays with shapes, contrast, and composition to show the simple beauty of things in our daily lives.

Today I used my Sony 85mm GM lens with the Sony FX30 so it was effectively a 127mm lens. This is supposed to be one of the best lens that I own and it has been described as the ultimate portrait prime. The perfect 85mm F1.4 portrait lens with outstanding sharpness dissolving to magnificent bokeh. I obtained a copy on the day that it became available here in Ireland in advance of any genuine reviews. I immediately discovered that it made a horrible grating noise while focusing. According to some reviews that I came across months later “The Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM lens has a focusing system that makes some noise. It sounds a little like metal scraping or a linear piezo motor even though it’s an SSM motor. It’s much quieter in video AF mode. Nearly silent.”.

I brought my copy back to the dealer and the told me that it would take a month or two to get a replacement so I decided to keep my copy on condition that I could replace it at some later date.

Here are some of the reviews of the Sony 85mm GM lens:

“The Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM is a superb lens that delivers outstanding image quality. It is sharp, contrasty, and has beautiful bokeh. The autofocus is fast and accurate, and the lens is weather-sealed. It is an excellent choice for portrait photographers.” – DPreview

“The Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM is a top-of-the-line portrait lens that offers excellent image quality and performance. It is sharp, has beautiful bokeh, and is weather-sealed. It is a bit on the expensive side, but it is worth the investment for serious portrait photographers.” – The Phoblographer

“The Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM is a fantastic lens that delivers excellent image quality in a variety of situations. It is sharp, has beautiful bokeh, and is weather-sealed. It is a bit on the large and heavy side, but it is still a great choice for portrait photographers.” – Cameralabs

Overall, the Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM is a highly rated lens that is well-suited for portrait photography. It is sharp, has beautiful bokeh, and is weather-sealed. However, it is also a bit on the expensive side.

JENNY’S CHAIR BY ALBENTY AT MONTPELIER HILL

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THIS HAS SURVIVED SINCE 2016

Originally, when I first published photographs of this artwork, I said that I believed that it was dedicated to someone named Jenny. Today I discovered that title is “Jenny’s Chair”

Albenty is an Irish street artist who is known for his colourful and playful murals. He often depicts animals, plants, and other natural elements in his work, and his pieces often have a whimsical or humorous touch. Albenty’s work can be found all over Dublin, and he has also exhibited his work in galleries in Ireland and the United Kingdom.

Albenty is a self-taught artist who began painting graffiti in the early 2000s. He quickly developed his own unique style, and his work has been praised for its originality and its ability to brighten up the urban landscape. Albenty is also known for his commitment to social justice, and many of his murals address issues such as poverty, homelessness, and environmentalism.

In addition to his street art, Albenty also creates prints, paintings, and sculptures. He has collaborated with a number of other artists, including Maser, Aches, and Subset. Albenty’s work has been featured in a number of publications, including The Irish Times, The Guardian, and Vice.

[Note: I have been unable to fully verify the information relating to Albenty]

I RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:

“Jenny’s Chair marks a three-year campaign by Jenny and a group of women from Montpelier Hill and Drive in response to an increasing number of incidents where children and young girls were being approached by kerb crawlers in the area. From 2003 to 2006, these women kept vigil on the street every night (except for Tuesdays which was Bingo night!), warning kerb crawlers that they were being watched and would be reported. The women’s efforts were ahead of their time, targeting the men who were soliciting and not the women involved in prostitution. The law was eventually changed in 2017 to make it an offence to purchase sex.”

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