Last night, Dublin University Photography Association (DUPA) opened its End of Year Showcase with tunes and enough of a crowd to make your gaff party look like a family get together.
It was a perfect way to kick off the weekend, and this year’s applicants proved inspirational – an impressive scope of the talents that our students and staff here in Trinity possess. People mingled with glasses and chattered in the atrium of Temple Bar Gallery and Studios, with a DJ set as the backdrop to the exhibition that made its way up the three floors and into various rooms. It was a well-curated show that perfected the balance of a chilled party of friends and a quality exhibition.
The open call for submissions led to a quantity of applicants that must have made the selection process difficult. Still, DUPA’s dedicated committee managed to show a huge variety of works and highlight the unique and individual talents and interests of its society members. No genre was left untouched and no style unrepresented.
Contemporary looks from the classic black and white street photography of Ernest Theismeier or the quieter city moments of Brian Sparks and Sadhbh Sheeran to urban portraiture by Katie O’Neill and Tobi Irein gave a striking glimpse into our modern lives. Shannon Smith captured surreal conditions. Jacob Doddrell, Some Aditya Mandal, Casia Mcateavey and Zahra Khan found picturesque moments on their travels, making us wish we could be there too. Guy Boggan and Ben Morrison were drawn to stunning landscapes. Various architectures were well portrayed by Caoilte Bashford and Art Coyne.
Speaking to The University Times, Claudia Mannix, DUPA’s Exhibitions Officer, had this to say: “I’m so delighted, we worked so hard and my only fear yesterday was that people wouldn’t come but it was packed and everyone was on such a good buzz. The standard was so high and I think the space worked well, with work in the studio and across all floors. I’m so happy and I think the rest of the committee are too.”
“DUPA brings together such a mix of people. Parents and parents’ friends came, past DUPA members who have graduated, master’s students and even a few of my teachers, so I think the mix is what made it”, she said.
