URBAN EXPRESSION BY THE URBAN CARTOGRAPHER

There Is Much To See Here

Sony

WE ARE HERE

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URBAN EXPRESSION AT SWANVILLE PLACE IN RATHMINES

It did not occur to me, until recently, why many places in Rathmines have “swan” in the name.

The Swan River is a hidden river in Dublin, Ireland. It is one of the many rivers that were culverted in the 19th century to make way for development. The Swan River is a tributary of the River Dodder and flows underground for most of its length. It rises in Terenure and Rathmines and flows under Morehampton Road and Clyde Road before joining the Dodder near the Aviva Stadium. The Swan River is only visible in a few places, such as in the basement of the former Swan Centre in Rathmines and at the end of a culvert in Mount Pleasant Avenue.

THE FAIRY FOREST BY TANIA ROSAS -224999

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LOCATED IN RATHFARNHAM VILLAGE IN DUBLIN

Tania Rosas, a multicultural illustrator, animator and video content creator is currently based in Dublin, Ireland. Her dream to bring a splash of joy to people’s lives through illustrations & videos.

https://taniarosasdesigns.com/pages/tania-rosas

THE KINGFISHER AT ST PAUL’S AVENUE IN CORK

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MURAL BY LONDON ARTIST CURTIS HYLTON

This mural, created by Curtis Hylton, on Lapp’s Quay near the Paul Street Carpark features The image of a kingfisher with a piece of plastic in its beak. It is the result of a collaboration between the Walls Project, the creative agency behind the annual Waterford Walls International Street Art Festival, and Blackrock Castle.

THIS NEW MURAL IS BY VERA BUGATTI

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DROGHEDA URBAN ART TRAIL

OCTOBER 2023 VISIT TO DROGHEDA

The Bridge of Peace is the second-furthest-west bridge in Drogheda. It was built as a part of an inner by-pass of the town in the 1970s.

Up until 2012 I visited Drogheda at least once per year in order to photograph the latest examples of street art under the Bridge Of Peacee. In 2011 I published the following comment: “According to the locals Drogheda hosts the worlds longest running annual graffiti art event on the undercrofts of the bridge of peace every August. This event has seen some of the worlds top artists visit the site since the walls were first painted in 1993.”

In 2012 I visited only to be disappointed as I could not find anything different or new and for various reasons I was unable to visit Drogheda again until this month [October 2023] and I was really disappointed to discover that there was nothing of interest at the Bridge Of Peace. However as I walked around the town I began to notice superior murals equal to the best on display in Waterford. [Note: I could not find suitable hotel accommodation at the right price so I had to cancel my trip to Waterford this year]

DRAWDA is a collaborative Project between Love Drogheda BIDS, Droichead Arts Centre, and Louth County Council with curator Dee Walsh and mythologist Anthony Murphy.

Until a few weeks ago there were six murals but there is now a new one by Vera Bugatti on Dominick Street – I really like it, and I hope that you like it. The mural portrays the Cailleach, the divine sorceress and mother goddess associated with the creation of the landscape and ancient monuments.

Vera Bugatti was born in Brescia (Italy) in 1979, she graduated in Conservation of Cultural Heritage in Parma and she was a research fellow in Mantua with a thesis dedicated to the 16th century heterodox treatises. He published essays on historical and iconological research and has collaborated with editorial offices.

Her artistic work is featured in the books: Julie Kirk Purcell’s Sidewalk Canvas, London 2011; Russ Thorne’s Street Art, London 2014; The Art of Chalk by Tracy Lee Stum, USA 2016; Street Art en Europe by Nath Oxygène and Brigitte Silhol, Paris 2018; Designing graphic illusions, China 2019. Her piece Die Erzahler was chosen by the London Flame Tree for the Street Art Calendar 2016.

Active since 2008 and expert in Anamorphic Street Painting since 2015, she painted in Italy, Holland, France, Germany, Ireland, Croatia, Austria, Malta, Sweden, Denmark, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Portugal, Spain, Latvia, Russia, Great Britain, Bulgaria, Belgium, the United States, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates and India.

She considers Urban Art as a variation of his artistic poetics, with constant references to the livability of the planet, man’s disturbances and social issues. She also works with different techniques and materials. First of all, the relief figures created by weaving wire with the help of nails, pliers and hammer (Iron and nails project). Then the wooden optical boxes, with locks that allow you to observe what is inside, which contain slightly deformed paintings or mirrors. Peeking you can see modern Mondi Novi, sometimes disturbing worlds. Finally the cylindrical anamorphoses with electric motor of the Memory theater series, restless elegies of time and at the same time homage to the world of the precinema.

THE LIGHT KEEPER BY SOPHI ODLING

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REAR OF THE SEA SCOUTS IN DUN LAOGHAIRE

Sophi Odling is an Australian artist who paints large-scale murals around the globe. Her work focuses on the beauty amongst the chaos in our everyday lives. The vivid narratives reflect human behaviours, environments, and cultures that she encounters.

Born in 1983 in Seoul, South Korea, Sophi grew up in Sydney, Australia, where she currently lives and works. In 2005 Sophi completed her BFA at UNSW College of Fine Arts. In 2017 Sophi started painting murals after a 14 year career in fashion. Her murals can be seen in America, Europe, South East Asia, Central America and Australia – and now in Dún Laoghaire!

Sophi presents her work in hope to celebrate the acceptance of cultural diversity, borderless minds, and the innocence of youth.

Sophi described her work for DLR Anseo in three words – embracing, night, and warmth. Titled ‘The Light Keeper’, it takes inspiration from the shelter and protection provided by the two light houses of Dún Laoghaire.

In summer 2021, a host of street artists arrived in Dún Laoghaire to turn the town’s streets into an open air canvas. The result was Dún Laoghaire Anseo which saw fifteen walls transformed by some stunning pieces of art that brightened the streets of the town. In 2022, ten more artists were invited back for Dún Laoghaire Anseo 2022. This year we have expanded across the county, bringing art not just to Dún Laoghaire but also to the walls of Dundrum, Deansgrange, Sallynoggin and Sandyford.

Meaning “here” in Irish, Anseo explores what makes our county a unique place. It’s our take on the essence of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, borrowing from its maritime heritage, its rich cultural history and reflecting themes of biodiversity.

Anseo brings together the best in contemporary street art, with a mixture of established, up-and-coming, and local artists, supported by Creative Ireland.

https://www.dlrcoco.ie/meet-artists

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.

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