Fergus Bourke

spudman1

Hello all,
Just a quick note a new website has been set up to document Irelands photographer Fergus Bourke.
The site is a work in progress but will eventually have a collection of his work.
http://fergusbourke.com/

thebaz

spudman1 wrote: »

Hello all,
Just a quick note a new website has been set up to document Irelands photographer Fergus Bourke.
The site is a work in progress but will eventually have a collection of his work.
http://fergusbourke.com/

best of luck with site , personally I rank Fergus as one of ireland's greatest photographers/artist's - I find it a shame that there is no book , that I know of, that does his talent justice

spudman1

A book will be on the way at some stage, possibly another year or so. Thoughts towards an exhibition as well, in time.

EyeBlinks

Long overdue. The only book I have by him is dreadfully produced and printed. Well done.

EyeBlinks

Just wondering is this an official site or an "appreciation of" kinda thing?

monosnaps

IMMA have used some of his images they purchased in recent exhibitions, while they were beautiful black and white landscape images sadly they were not his vintage prints but digital reproductions. I wonder who holds his archive of images, were they donated or are they with his family. I remember JM photo in Inchicore had a beautiful framed print of Marcel Marceau by Fergus on their walls, it may still be there. His theatre work was amazing, large beautiful glossy images outside the Gate and Abbey theatre, portraits and action scenes from the stage shows.

In remembering Fergus I am also thinking of Austin Finn, the Irish Press photographer, another amazing photographer who roamed the streets of Dublin. I so enjoyed his images I think he used to use a 300mm lens for a lot of his street work shooting into the light to create some memorable images. Has anyone ever seen anything in print from his archive.

It would be really nice to see a series of quality monogaphs from these and other Irish photographers. Maybe some day.

sugrefson

EyeBlinks wrote: »

Just wondering is this an official site or an "appreciation of" kinda thing?

This is the official website, it is being put together by Fergus's family & will have galleries of a select number of his images as well as information about his career & information on how to purchase prints. The family owns most of the original negatives and digital reproductions or darkroom prints will be available at a later date. If you are looking for specific information, there is a contact page on the website & any inquiries will be answered in a short amount of time. We are excited to get this going, it has been a long time coming.

EyeBlinks

Look forward to buying some prints then. They won't be astronomical prices, will they?

Searchers

I worked in Sligo in the late eighties/early nineties. It was that period, around the time of Italia 90, when things weren't great but were begining to get a bit better. It was before we began to realise how good everything was going to get.

An excellent Arts Journal from the region called Force 10 published an edition with a photograph on the cover called:

Famine Burial Ground, Flight 133 to Boston

There is a low res version here that unfortunately will not convey the real power of this image:

http://galleryofphotography.ie/exhibitions/bourke2.html

A photograph will often be worth a thousand words. This photograph was then - and is now even moreso - beyond words. It is the most powerful and best Irish photograph ever taken.

I wish you the very best with this very worthwhile project.

sineadw

monosnaps wrote: »

I remember JM photo in Inchicore had a beautiful framed print of Marcel Marceau by Fergus on their walls, it may still be there. .

They also have 'The Coal Pickers' (I think that's what it's called) printed by fergus. I got chatting to the guy in there one day. Apparently he used to clear his tab there with prints. They had a few more, but he 'borrowed' them for a show in the states and they never saw them again.

@op - great to see someone archiving his work for the future. Keep us updated!