This work is from a series of black and white photographs of Palermo that John Riddy took over three years starting in 2011. As with many of Riddy’s projects, his interest was sparked by 19th century art – in this case, the photographs taken in Palermo by Gustave le Gray, shortly after Garibaldi’s entry to the Sicilian capital in 1860. Riddy focuses on the same historic centre; a mix of ruin and renovation; working class communities and markets; alleyways and quaysides. The city has a weight of texture and history that is captured in this work. Despite the noise and energy of Palermo, his photograph is formally balanced and filled with a quiet stillness.
JOHN RIDDY (British, 1959)
Archival pigment print
103.1 x 119.6 cm
Acquired in 2015
