In the 1960s, Dublin was alive with the sound of rock ‘n roll. Seven nights a week, clubs such as the Go-Go and the Five Club played host to the ‘beat groups’ – talented kids who modelled themselves on The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. They wrote their own songs and wore black leather jackets and long hair, not the slick uniforms of the showbands. On Saturday nights, tennis and rugby clubs throughout the town, such as Ranelagh’s Mountpleasant Tennis Club, were filled with hundreds of fans, dancing to groups such as the Creatures, Kingbees and Bluesville.

In 2006, the Ranelagh Arts Festival brought together some of the biggest names from the ‘60s beat scene in The Green Beat, a memorable night of music from the men who brought rock ‘n roll to Ireland. From that event came the idea for a photographic exhibition, paying tribute to these lifelong musicians who were the founders of today’s Irish rock industry.

Award-winning photographer Kate Horgan was commissioned by the Ranelagh Arts Festival to document Ireland’s original rock stars, including well-known figures such as Henry McCullough, Paul Brady and Eric Bell. The result is an outstanding collection of intimate portraits, along with images of rock memorabilia chosen by the musicians themselves. The photographs reveal the originality and idiosyncrasy of the musicians in a sympathetic light, while showing the understanding developed between photographer and subject.

Following its debut at Humphrey’s Pub in Ranelagh, the exhibition will travel to Dublin’s Temple Bar, the Cobblestone pub and music venue in the Seamus Ennis Cultural Centre, the Naul, Co. Dublin, and other venues throughout the country during 2008, with live music from some of the musicians photographed.

Desciption

This exhibition will showcase a range of artistic talent resident in Ranelagh village. Incorporating the theme ‘On the street where you live’, paintings and sculptures will be displayed in several different shops and pubs. Starting at Birchall’s, wander up and down Ranelagh’s main street and see art at its most accessible and visible.

The exhibition will include works by artists such as Mark Ryan, Marie Hennessey, Gerhardt Gallagher, Cian McLoughlin, Michael Bulfin, PJ Lynch, Rosemary McLoughlin, Molly Browne, Simon O’Donnell, Anne Clinton and Caroline Canning.

Martin Parr, Magnum photographer, a very special visitor to the festival this year, will discuss his long career as one of the most original and innovative photographers of our time. From the early days of taking black and white photographs of Ireland – notably A Fair Day (1984), Bad Weather (1982 ) and the groundbreaking The Last Resort (1986) – up to his most recent work exploring globalisation and tourism, Martin’s unique perspective on the follies and vanities of our time has consistently enlightened, amused and even alarmed. A photograph by Martin Parr is instantly recognisable – in a world where we are bombarded by the visual media, his images always engage and can never be ignored.

This exhibition will feature original photographs taken outdoors in Ranelagh by local amateur photographers. Street photography has inspired and been the subject matter of many of the great photographers, including Martin Parr who will be judging the exhibition and awarding a prize.

This one-hour documentary film features a series of short interviews with residents who were part of last year’s Ranelagh Heads exhibition. They will talk about memories of their earlier lives in Ranelagh. The documentary, produced by James Kelly and Brigid Tiernan specially for the Ranelagh Arts Festival, will be screened on a loop in two venues during the festival – Morton’s Supermarket Café and Superquinn Café.

This event will feature the artistic work of teenagers, chosen in a competition during the summer by the Visual Arts Committee of the festival. The young artists will participate in this dynamic exhibition by working on the empty site, developing and creating a series of exciting site-specific works. The dramatic artwork will be displayed on eye-catching hoardings. The site has been kindly donated by Olivers Estate Agents for temporary use during the festival.