'I'm a writer who takes photographs, not a photographer who writes...' Robert O'Byrne celebrates a decade of his The Irish Aesthete, ahead of a photographic exhibition featuring images from the popular blog - enjoy a selection above.
In September 2012 I began a blog called The Irish Aesthete. The full reasons for doing so are no longer clear, but they certainly involved a wish to share with other people my long-standing passion for Ireland's architectural heritage which it seemed to me then – and still seems to me now – insufficiently understood and appreciated.
Gradually, and somewhat surprisingly, The Irish Aesthete developed a following, both within Ireland and overseas, and then spawned a presence on various other social media like Facebook. In more recent years, it has been particularly popular on Instagram, and now has more than 35,000 followers.
Who would have guessed old buildings would prove so popular? I get responses from all around the world and have made many friends via The Irish Aesthete. From the beginning I recognised that my text needed to be accompanied by decent pictures. However, having never before taken photographs, indeed never even owned a camera I used the most obvious resource: my mobile phone. I still do the same thing and, as the quality of these devices has improved, so too, I hope, has the quality of my pictures.
But my amateur status remains: I'm a writer who takes photographs, not a photographer who writes.
Across the past decade, I’ve taken more than 50,000 pictures covering everything from country houses to cottages, from industrial buildings to ancient monasteries, from garden follies to graveyards. Consistent posting on social media several times a week means I must always have new – or rather old – material.
Now, before setting out on any journey, I look to see what sites might be discovered en route, and prepare a list in advance. Sometimes the results are disappointing, and sometimes there are unexpected, always welcome, delights: a house spotted over a hedge, or an old ruin in a nearby field.
After a decade of travel, I’ve decided to hold an exhibition of just a few of my photographs at the Irish Architectural Archive. It’s a wonderful, insufficiently well-known, institution in Merrion Square that is full of images and information on all aspects of Ireland’s built heritage. In addition, I’m giving the IAA a complete digital set of all the pictures I’ve taken over that period, because knowledge doesn’t achieve its full potential unless shared with the widest possible audience.
Meanwhile, the exhibition shows some of my particular interests, divided into a number of thematic categories, including ruins – of which Ireland has more than her fair share – as well as buildings that are at risk of becoming ruined. But there are also lots of pictures of beautiful houses in peak condition, exterior shots and interiors, as well as little decorative details that often catch my eye.
I’m not finished yet, and there are still lots of places, and parts of this island, which still wait to be explored. The sheer diversity of places on our small country and the quality of our historic architecture continue to excite me. The Irish Aesthete has a future as well as a past.
The Irish Aesthete: Ten Years in the Making can be seen at the Irish Architectural Archive, 45 Merrion Square, Dublin 2 from December 2nd until December 22nd, Monday to Friday - find out more here.
