"These photographs reveal the pure ahistoricity of their moment, when the idea of property was its own end, and the midlands a blank canvas on which those desires could be made and sold. Cregg’s careful, continual observation, distilled over years, means that Midlands tells a minimal and powerful story of clearance, building and dereliction."
Over a ten year period Martin Cregg's ‘Midlands’ has explored the physical transitions which are as a direct consequence of the National Spatial Strategy for Ireland (2002-2020). The disputed territory of 'The Midlands' was allocated a number of major strategic infrastructural projects - an inter-triangulation of “gateways” and “Hubs” in the interior were designed to kick-start an economic revival and encourage a dynamic regeneration and re-population of what was seen as a potential core area of the country.
Throughout the cycles of economic and cultural change, from 2004 until the NSS was abandoned in late 2013, 'Midlands' mapped and represented the narrative of erasure, construction, abandonment and change in and on the landscape.
While ‘Midlands’ represents topographic alterations which were both subtle and monumental, minute and large scale over this period of time, the work also represents the porous nature of the imagined borders of the region itself, questioning the very concept of what the ‘Midlands’ is - an undetermined geographical entity, under constant construction and re-definition.
The Book is limited to an edition of 200, with text by Colin Graham and design by Read That Image. The cost of the book on the night of the launch is 4oEuros. All Welcome.
EVENT: https://www.facebook.com/events/1471456889824634/
BOOK SALES: http://www.martincreggphotography.com/Martin_Cregg_midlands_book_presales_and_order.html
- Colin Graham, Author of "Northern Ireland: 30 years of Photography"
Throughout the cycles of economic and cultural change, from 2004 until the NSS was abandoned in late 2013, 'Midlands' mapped and represented the narrative of erasure, construction, abandonment and change in and on the landscape.
While ‘Midlands’ represents topographic alterations which were both subtle and monumental, minute and large scale over this period of time, the work also represents the porous nature of the imagined borders of the region itself, questioning the very concept of what the ‘Midlands’ is - an undetermined geographical entity, under constant construction and re-definition.
The Book is limited to an edition of 200, with text by Colin Graham and design by Read That Image. The cost of the book on the night of the launch is 4oEuros. All Welcome.
EVENT: https://www.facebook.com/events/1471456889824634/
BOOK SALES: http://www.martincreggphotography.com/Martin_Cregg_midlands_book_presales_and_order.html
