Launch 6pm Fri 18 May
Running 19 May-30 June
Mermaid Arts Centre
The Civic Plaza, Main Street, Bray, Co. Wicklow
Opening Hours Mon-Sat 10am-6pm
Late opening 10pm on performance days
Swimmers come to the sea for many reasons. For over a year, photographic artist Gerry Blake has been examining the ritual practice of regular sea swimming. Visiting more than 10 bathing areas, he depicts individual swimmers as they approach the sea at various times of the day. Into the Sea portrays them at their most thoughtful and reflective in the moments before they plunge into the open waters.
Swimmers in Dublin have the advantage of a large number of bathing places. Many were built over 150 years ago, when the coastal railway line was constructed. These iconic bathing spots have served many generations of swimmers, year-round, and continue to be places of both communal gathering and solitary meditation.
Gerry Blake holds an MFA in Photography from Ulster University. His award-winning work has been exhibited widely in galleries, including the Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA Annual Exhibition, 2015, 2017), The National Gallery of Ireland (Hennessy Portrait Prize, 2015), and the Ulster Museum (Royal Ulster Academy Annual Exhibition, 2017). He lives in north County Wicklow.