Cool Hunting

Ireland's sluggish economy and stifling religious regime during the 1950s left the country with severe emigration issues. Many families abandoned their homes never to return. Irish photographer David Creedon examines these dilapidated houses and forgotten stories of the people who once occupied them with his series of photographs, Ghosts of the Faithful Departed, taken between 2005 and 2007. Shot in color, the wear and tear of time is evident by the deteriorating walls.

In his essay for Creative Lens, Creedon explains the eerie feeling he felt while documenting the deserted homes. He goes on to comment on how the interiors resonate with his roots having grown up in Ireland during the time when the country lost well over 800,000 people to flourishing cities like London and New York.

Revered by the Ireland Independent as "one of the most significant collections of photography in contemporary Ireland and will be amongst the most important works of Irish art in years to come," Ghosts of the Faithful Departed opens today and is on view through 6 March 2009 at London's Photofusion Gallery.

Ghosts of the Faithful Departed - 23 January through 6 March 2009
Photofusion Gallery
17a Electric Lane
London SW9 8LA map
tel. +44 020 7738 5774