‘Infield’ by Chris Rodmell, Kodak Ektachrome (6X6), Inis Meáin, Aran Islands, 1973.

40 years on …

In 1973 Chris Rodmell arrived in Inis Meáin to make a short film. He had won a student award of £250 in response to a proposal to film life in an “enclosed community living on one of the remote islands off Ireland or Scotland.” He chose Inis Meáin. He spent three weeks on the island, filming with a 16mm Bolex and taking photographs with a medium format Mamiya on Kodak Ektachrome professional stock.

40 years on Chris has returned to Inis Meáin to present an exhibition of a selection of the photographs he took in 1973. ‘Inis Meáin 1973’ is presented by Tarlach De Blacam of Cniotáil Inis Meáin as part of a series of exhibitions by photographers who visited Inis Meáin. The series kicked off in 2009 with the acclaimed exhibition of photographs of Árann by John Millingon Synge;  this exhibition was included in ‘The Moderns,’ a major survey of modernism in Irish art that was held in IMMA (Irish Museum Of Modern Art) in 2010.

‘Synge’ was curated by Ciarán Walsh of curator.ie and he resumed his partnership with De Blacam to present ‘Inis Meáin 1973’ by Chris Rodmell, establishing Cniotáil Inis Meáin as one of the more interesting venues currently presenting photographic exhibitions.

The exhibition runs until 15 August 2012.

More information: Press release for ‘Inis Meáin 1973’ by Chris Rodmell