Dublin: Krass Clement's document of Ireland's capital in the early 1990s

The resulting photographs, contemporary to ‘Drum’, are published in a new book for the first time, over 25 years since their creation. Dublin follows the journey of a flaneur through the Irish city beginning in the deserted streets on the outskirts in the dark before dawn.

Shot at angles, furtive glimpses into doorways and down urban streets, give the impression of walking at pace and staying in the shadows. The sense of movement in Dublin is accentuated by the figures on the street who are in a perpetual state of transit – on foot, on the bus, or in a brief moment of respite before moving on again. Shot in black and white, these photographs appear to show a city not rooted in the late 20th century, but rather a Dublin out of time, monochromatic in both rain and sun.

A visual stream of consciousness on a stroll through the city, Clement’s work marries the traditions of Scandinavian melancholy and the 'flaneur' tradition from the Parisian school.

Clement’s preferred medium is the photo book, using sequencing to build an imaginary and intangible narrative frame by frame. His best-known book ‘Drum’, captured the local residents of a pub in the small village of Drum with a population of less than 200. The book revolves around a hunched old man who sits alone with his drink, his solitary state accentuated by the figures rotating around him.

The protagonist of ‘Dublin’ is the flaneur on foot, viewing the city as both alien and familiar. The publication of ‘Dublin’ will coincide with an exhibition of work by Krass Clement at The Gallery of Photography, Ireland in Dublin from now until 14 January 2018.

Krass Clement was born Copenhagen in 1946 and is a self-taught photographer. He graduated as a film director from the Danish Film School in 1973, and when it became evident that his future was not to be in film he returned to the photography he had practiced since his youth.

Dublin by Krass Clement is published by RRB PhotoBooks on 30 November 2017. All images Dublin, 1991 © Krass Clement courtesy RRB PhotoBooks.