Dead Zoo in Blue
Ishmael Claxton
PhotoIreland
English
Text by Paulo Viscardi
Softcover
Edition of 200
84 pages
150 x 210 mm
2025
Ishmael Claxton has immersed himself in the spaces and collections of the Dead Zoo, bringing his own unique perspective as an African American living in Ireland to the images he has captured. His use of a special blue-tinted filmstock references the Irish term for a black person, “duine gorma,” which literally translates to “blue skin”. This considered medium and careful lighting “paints” an atmosphere that normal photography is unable to evoke, providing a new visual perspective on the animals and spaces – creating something unique. Through his explorations through collections both colonial and parochial, Ishmael has shone a light of a new sort, offering a glimpse of the intangible and magical – enriching the beholder’s sense of the Dead Zoo from the perspective of an artist of colour.
(Source: https://www.thelibraryproject.ie/collections/tlp-editions/products/dead-zoo-in-blue-ishmael-claxton)
About the Artist
Ishmael Claxton is an award winning Dublin based fine artist and photographer. He’s lived and worked in New York City, Morocco, the Caribbean, Berlin and Paris, picking up styles and inspiration along the way, to create pieces centred around a key concern in his work: connection. Ishmael’s photography uses a pastiche of different artistic styles, such as Italian Futurism, surrealism, and Afro-Futurist imaginaries to make his work an outlet for political expression, often touching on themes of race, gender, and class
https://ishmaelclaxton.com
(Source: https://districtmagazine.ie/art-and-design/artist-spotlight-ishmael-claxton)
About the Publisher
PhotoIreland grows the reputation of Irish artists globally through a 360 degree support system and platform for contemporary photography, activated through a diversity of projects. These include events such as PhotoIreland Festival and Halftone print fair amongst others; resources such as the PhotoIreland Collection, a specialised research library of photobooks, and Ireland’s Art Bookshop, The Library Project; via publishing with projects such as OVER Journal and TLP Editions; professional development support through networking and consultancy opportunities; and empowering early and mid-career photographers via our international partnerships, most relevantly through Creative Europe co-funded platforms such as FUTURES and Parallel.
https://photoireland.org
(Source: https://photoireland.org/about-photoireland)
