Ancestral Interiors - Patrick Prendergast

The photographs of Patrick Prendergast, an exhibition at the Irish Architectural Archive. These views of the liminal spaces in Irish country houses are evocative of many layers of inhabitation. All the houses featured were still in the ownership of the original families that had commissioned the buildings. They are a type of anti-architectural photography in that they don't feature any grand views, important spaces or key details. They are more about wear, patinas, making do, growing up and the very nature of home. Many of the images allow the windows to flare in over-exposure reminding you that in most of these dusty spaces you would indeed be probably squinting in half-light. The photographs were taken with a 6x7 medium format Plaubel Makina.

The project was made possible by John Belmore and the accompanying book has a very good introduction by William Laffan.