Deep Time

The work comprises an excerpt of text about the geology and topography of Kenmare overlaid onto a photograph from the present day. The text is from an Irish Tourist Association (ITA) Topographical and General Survey of Kenmare, Co Kerry from 1947, archived in Kerry Library. (This particular excerpt describes the area of Kenmare, which is an area that is particularly rich in geological features.) Deep Time refers to geological time and to the immense arc of non-human history which makes up our topographical landscape. (The earth being approx. 4.5 billion years old and is therefore nearly impossible to imagine.) One way which geologists have traditionally used to invoke the concept of deep time is to represent it through the visual metaphor of rock strata and seams. In itself, (with some irony), one of the key qualities of the medium of photography is that it is said to ‘stop time’. The concept of geological time reminds us of the fragility of human existence on the planet - a concept which is carried though by printing the work on a fragile, ephemeral paper, which is nonetheless strong.