ALL FORMS OF PUBLIC ART

Featuring All Forms Of Public Art

Sisyphus

THE BASTARD SON OF SISYPHUS A SCULPTURE BY ORLA DE BRI

by

THE INFOMATIQUE 2017 LEGACY PHOTO COLLECTION

Because of intrusive street furniture and as I had to shoot into the sun this was much more difficult to photograph than I had expected.

This striking sculpture, “The Bastard Son of Sisyphus”, by Orla de Brí, is located in Park West, Dublin. It offers a contemporary interpretation of the Greek myth of Sisyphus, condemned to eternally push a boulder uphill only to watch it roll back down. De Brí’s work captures the futility of Sisyphus’s task, reflecting the often- Sisyphean nature of modern life.

The sculpture features an 8ft high bronze figure, backed by imposing limestone megaliths, standing above a stepped waterfall. He contemplates a 5ft bronze sphere below, symbolising the burden we continually strive to overcome.

Unveiled on 21st October 1999, at the Park West launch day, the sculpture is unfortunately somewhat marred by its surroundings. Intrusive street furniture and the presence of high-tension transmission pylons detract from the artwork’s impact. Photographing the piece also proved challenging due to the position of the sun, which created difficult lighting conditions.

Further Information:

To learn more about the artist and her work, please visit www.orladebri.ie.

Photographing into the Sun: Challenges and Solutions

Photographing a subject when the sun is directly behind it presents several challenges:

Silhouettes: The subject is often rendered as a dark silhouette against a bright background.
Lens Flare: Light can scatter within the lens, creating unwanted artefacts and reducing contrast.
Dynamic Range: The difference in brightness between the subject and the background can exceed the camera’s capacity to capture detail in both.
Possible Solutions:

Change Position: If possible, reposition yourself to avoid shooting directly into the sun.
Use a Lens Hood: This can help to block some of the extraneous light causing lens flare.
Filters: Graduated neutral density filters or polarising filters can help to balance the exposure.
Exposure Compensation: Dial in positive exposure compensation to brighten the subject.
Shoot in RAW format: This allows for greater flexibility in post-processing to recover detail in highlights and shadows.

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