The primary focus of Paul Carroll’s photography is documenting the relationship between people and communities on the island of Ireland and their intersection and interaction with their surroundings, landscape and environment.
His debut photobook ‘Gaelic Fields’ is the result of a 7 year, 50,000 kilometre journey throughout Ireland to document the position of Gaelic games within communities and their relationship within the environment. The critically acclaimed work was awarded the prestigious Irish Times photobook of the year in 2016. Its been exhibited nationally and internationally including at the “Emerging Irish Photographers” group show in 2018 and the Aahus Photobook Week, Denmark.
Carroll’s work resides in public and private collections. He has the been the recipient of bursaries and grants from The Arts Council of Ireland and The Cork City Arts office. His work has featured in publications nationally and internationally.
Carroll’s long form documentary work bridges genres; its a social portrait of communities which additionally manifests as landscape photography through the prism of place.
Publications
November 2016: Gaelic Fields by Paul Carroll, ISBN: 978-0-9956265-0-8, self published.
Grants, Awards And Nominations
October 2024: Visual Arts Bursary Award Round 2 2024, The Arts Council, Dublin
April 2024: Redd, Leica Oskar Barnack Award (LOBA) 2024 nominee, Germany
January 2024: Cork City Individual Bursary 2024, Cork City Arts Office, Cork City
September 2022: The Agility Award 2022, The Arts Council, Dublin
January 2021: Cork City Artist Bursary 2021, Cork City Arts Office, Cork City
December 2020: Professional Development Award 2020, The Arts Council, Dublin
January 2020: Arts In Context Grant 2020, Cork City Arts Office, Cork City
March 2018: Mack First Book Award 2018, nominated by The Gallery Of Photography, Dublin.
December 2016/January 2017: Editors choice The Irish Times Photobook of 2016.
Group Membership
2024- : Member of the Soho Photo Group, New York, USA.
2018-2024: Associate member of the Backwater Artist Group, Wandesford Quay, Cork City.
Exhibitions And Talks
September 20th 2024: “6aside”, Culture, Night 2024, The Atrium, Cork City
March 8th – May 19th 2024: “Gaelic Fields” in “Sports Gaéliques”, Centre Culturel Irlandais, Paris, France
August 12th – October 8th 2023: “Gaelic Fields” in “The Art of Sport”, The Butler Gallery, Kilkenny
17th March- 19th April 2023: “Gaelic Fields”, “The Performing Photobook” FORMAT23, Derby, England
November 25th 2021: “Redd” by Paul Carroll, Virtual Water Cafe, DCU Water Institute, Dublin
September 27th – October 30th 2021: “Inishturk 0-09 v 0-08 Clare Island”, RHA Annual Exhibtion, Dublin
March 1st – 5th 2021: “Redd” exhibition and talk, “The Human Animal series”, Backwater Artist Group, Cork
August 1st – 31st 2019: “Gaelic Fields” The Glens art centre, Manorhamilton, Co. Leitrim
June 13th – 30th 2019: “Gaelic Fields” in The PhotoIreland collection, Fotofestiwal Lódz, Poland
July-September 2018: Group show “Emerging Irish Photographers”, The Gallery Of Photography, Dublin
June 14th – September 14th 2018: Group Show “Interiors And Other Landscapes”, Sternview Gallery, Cork
March 8th – 31st 2018: “Gaelic Fields Solo Show”, The Library Project-PhotoIreland, Temple bar, Dublin
March 21st 2018: “Gaelic Fields Talk/Totally Dublin Live”, The Sugar Club, Dublin
November 2017: “Halftone Print Fair”, The Library Project, Temple bar, Dublin
September 15th-22nd 2017: “Aarhus Photobook Week”, Aarhus, Denmark
August 1st-4th September 2017: “Gaelic Fields” St Peters Vision Centre, Cork City
June 2nd-5th 2017: Comórtas Na Gaeltacht,“Gaelic Fields Le Paul Carroll”, Tourmakeady, Co. Mayo
March 15th 2017: Talk by Paul Carroll: Gaelic Fields, Sirus Arts Centre, Cobh, Co. Cork
