Anthology

Discover the definitive collection of one of the world's most compelling photographers. Alen MacWeeney: Anthology is the first comprehensive retrospective, spanning seventy years of the acclaimed Irish photographer's extraordinary career. From his beginnings as a teenage press photographer in Dublin, to his apprenticeship with the legendary Richard Avedon in New York and Paris, MacWeeney swiftly abandoned the studio to develop a signature style of composed, yet gritty, street photography. This volume showcases the vast and deeply human scope of his work, distinguished by a painterly eye that reveals the profound character of its subjects. At the heart of the collection is MacWeeney's celebrated and compassionate documentation of the Irish Travellers, a crucial cultural record, capturing a vanishing way of life. The book features iconic works, including his poignant photographs of the conflict in Northern Ireland, intimate portrayals of family members of the Bloomsbury Group, and the melancholy street portraits of his 1970s' New York Subway series. MacWeeney's masterful control of light and composition - from rich colours to a vast range of gorgeous greys - lends a thoughtful, quiet repose to his images, giving the sense that the subject has only just left the room. With over 300 pages of stunning reproductions, this essential book solidifies MacWeeney's place among the masters of modern photography. His photographs are held in the permanent collections of major institutions worldwide, including MoMA, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and The Art Institute of Chicago. His archive was acquired by University College Cork Library in 2019. For collectors, photography enthusiasts, and lovers of Irish history, Anthology is a timeless and powerful testament to a life spent behind the lens.