Laura Dunwoody

Drawn to the working-class communities like the one I grew up in, I made work focusing on Ballymun, a suburb on the northside of Dublin. The area suffers from high levels of unemployment, addiction and social issues and has long been the subject of negative stereotypes in the Irish mainstream media. Because of this, Ballymun has developed a strong community spirit where everyone knows everyone and is deeply loyal and connected.

Through long-term collaboration and the facilitation of workshops, I play several roles in a photographic mediation of the reality in which the youth in Ballymun live today. The resulting work offers a contemplative look at themes of belonging, identity and coming of age in a community that was harmed by the photographic medium. Still and moving image together portray the traces and textures of working class life and invites the audience to experience a dialogue between past and present. By way of intimate collaborations with individuals and communities and through an additional online platform, I offer a glimpse into the ‘how’ of my social engagement. I immerse myself in stories and experiences in response to my need to escape and find adventure in reaction to the internal pressure that time is moving too fast.

‘Nothing Lasts Forever’ is a photographic exploration of the fragility of adolescence and life. I portray the lives of the young people of Ballymun by reflecting on the complex relationship we often hold with the places that shape us, our outlooks and identities. This series challenges the viewer to reconsider photography’s role in representation, to question its power and what lies beneath.