Paul Butler
Postgraduate Research
Email: paul.j.butler@tudublin.ie
Tel: +353 1 220 7709
I am a documentary photographer based in County Leitrim. I have a passion for documenting our changing sense of place and our disappearing landscape. I am a graduate of Technical Phtohgraphy (Kevin St 1994). Within my imagery, I am continuously attracted to placing an emphasis on the ordinary. Many years have been spent on a Masters research project visualising the words of Irish writer, John McGahern.
A Master of Arts by Research was conferred by Technological University Dublin on completion of my thesis and this research project led to the publication of my book in 2023, 'A Deep Well of Want - Visualising the World of John McGahern'. The possibility of a future PhD project are being explored, so as to turn and expand this sizeable work supplemented by articles and photographic exhibitions as outlined below:
Publications:
- Butler, P. (2023). 'A Deep Well of Want: Visualising the World of John McGahern'. Reimagining Ireland. Vol. 122. (Oxford, Peter Lang)
Hand, D. & E. Maher (eds), Essays on John McGahern - Assessing a literacy legacy (Cork University Press, 2019), Chapter 9, ‘A Dub in Leitrim: McGahern as seen Through the Camera Lens’, pp.135-143.
Butler, P. and Maher, E. (2016). 'John McGahern: His Time and his Places'. In Canadian Journal of Irish Studies, Volume 39 (pp.27-54). John McGahern: his Time and his Places (tudublin.ie)
Book Review:
Houlihan, B. (2023, November 18th). 'Where two life stories interesect. A Deep Well of Want: Visualising the World of John McGahern'. The Irish Times.
Online Publications:
Butler, P. (2021) RTÉ Brainstorm, ‘What a Photographer sees when he visualises John McGahern’s Work’ https://www.rte.ie/author/1191174-paul-butler/
Butler, P. (2019) ‘Seeing Leitrim,’ Journal of Franco-Irish Studies, Vol. 5: Iss. 1, Article 3.
Available at: https://arrow.tudublin.ie/jofis/vol5/iss1/3
Butler, P. (2016, March 30th). ‘John McGahern and The Deep Well of Want: Portraits of the artist’s world. Retrieved from Irish Times: https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/john-mcgahern-and-the-deep-well-of-want-portraits-of-the-artist-s-world-1.2592043
Butler, P. (2017, September 23rd). Under The Irish Skies – Landscape Photography. Retrieved from Edge of Humanity: https://edgeofhumanity.com/2017/09/23/ireland-3/
Butler, P. (n.d.). ‘Visualising McGahern’. Retrieved from Lensculture: https://www.lensculture.com/paul-butler
Photographic Exhibitions:
'A Deep Well of Want: Photographs and Archives of McGahern Country' - James Hardiman Library, University of Galway - April 2024
'The Deep Well of Want' - The Dock, Carrick on Shannon, March - April 2017
'The Deep Well of Want' - The Backstage Theatre, Longford, June 2016
'The Deep Well of Want' - St Patricks College, DCU, John McGahern 10th Anniversary Celebration - May 2016
'Still' - Ballyroan Library - September 2014
'Still' - Redline Book Festival - October 2013
'Print Swap Community Exhibitions' – New York / Melbourne / Athens
Online Galleries: