Paul Gaffney
"PERIGEE"

Exhibition: 5 March – 15 May 2016
Opening: Saturday, 5 March, 12 pm

Paul Gaffney has travelled the length and breadth of Luxembourg, from the "Op der Haardt" nature reserve in the south, to the Ardennes in the north, exploring the crisscrossing tracks and trails around its towns and villages, on foot and by night.

Taking a particular interest in the moonlit forest, Gaffney carried out his project in two phases: at first walking during daylight hours, he documented his wanderings using polaroids. He then later revisited some of these chosen routes at night to re-explore and photograph under the light of the full moon.

Paul Gaffney’s research is aimed at developing a meditative approach to landscape photography, and investigates how the act of image making can enable and disrupt a sense of connection with one’s surroundings. His exhibition at CNA features two recent series which are closely related to this theme.

"Perigee" presents the project which was carried out during his residency at the CNA from 2015 to 2016, while "Stray" was photographed in a dense pine forest in the southeast of Ireland in almost total darkness in late 2014.

Drawing on Arnold Berleant’s theory of a "participatory approach" to landscape, in which the artist, environment and viewer are considered to be in continuous dialogue with each other, Gaffney’s installation invites the audience to engage with an immersive landscape experience, in the unique setting of the Water Tower.

Further information: www.paulgaffneyphotography.com