Alan Phelan has been working with the Joly screen process since 2018, one of the first stable colour photography methods that was invented by Trinity College Dublin physics professor John Joly in the 1880s. The ‘additive’ or ‘separate’ process uses a red, green, and blue striped screen to filter light on exposure and display to make colour from light not chemistry.
The content of the images is broad as Phelan wants to create a visual history for the process that it never had a chance to have as it was abandoned early on.
This selection draws on several projects — flower photographs that reference floral paintings and arrangements over five centuries; self-portraits that connect to queer photography history in performing identities; and ‘dot’ photographs which exploit the layered process, leaving dot gaps in the stripes and adding visual complexity with coloured paper and re-photographed found images.
alanphelan.com
For those that are not familiar with the project, TLP Editions is an ongoing collection, produced and designed by PhotoIreland, that presents work by contemporary artists in the form of uncomplicated publications. These are available through The Library Project in-store and online. All and any funds generated by the project go to producing more copies of the publications, ensuring we can keep promoting the artists and practices represented. These editions are regularly showcased and donated to international events and festivals, such as the Icelandic Photography Festival recently. In addition, TLP Editions also grace some important shelves and collections, including that of the Hasselblad Foundation Library and the Martin Parr Foundation.
You can find a list of all the TLP Editions here.
PhotoIreland is kindly supported by the Arts Council of Ireland to develop support projects such as the TLP Editions.
Published by PhotoIreland
Edition of 200
Softcover
32 pages
148 x 210 mm
