Melancholy shots of Dublin in the ‘90s
- Text by HUCK HQ
- Photography by Krass Clement
In 1991, over the course of three short visits, Krass Clement shot the streets of Dublin. The Danish photographer was on a three-month residency at Ireland’s Tyrone Gurhie Centre in Annaghmakerrig, and felt compelled to capture the capital – drawn to its melancholy corners and shadowy streets.
His striking black and white portraits have now been compiled, over a quarter of a century later, into a new photo book called Dublin. Published by RRB, it contains all the images taken from Clement’s time in the city. “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,” reads the book’s official summary. “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 is most known for his 1996 photo book, Drum, which was taken over the course of an evening in a local pub in Drum, Ireland. The photographer allegedly used just over three rolls of film for the acclaimed project, as well as “five pints of Guinness.” It is seen as one of the most important contributions to the contemporary Danish photo world.
The release of Dublin will coincide with an exhibition of work by Krass Clement at city’s Gallery of Photography from 14 November 2017 – 14 January 2018.

Dublin, 1991 © Krass. Clement courtesy RRB PhotoBooks

Dublin, 1991 © Krass Clement courtesy RRB PhotoBooks

Dublin, 1991 © Krass Clement courtesy RRB PhotoBooks

Dublin, 1991 © Krass Clement courtesy RRB PhotoBooks

Dublin, 1991 © Krass Clement courtesy RRB PhotoBooks

Dublin, 1991 © Krass Clement courtesy RRB PhotoBooks

Dublin, 1991 © Krass Clement courtesy RRB PhotoBooks

Dublin, 1991 © Krass Clement courtesy RRB PhotoBooks

Dublin, 1991 © Krass Clement courtesy RRB PhotoBooks
Dublin by Krass Clement is published by RRB PhotoBooks on 30 November 2017.
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
You might like
A stark, confronting window into the global cocaine trade
Sangre Blanca — Mads Nissen’s new book is a close-up look at various stages of the drug’s journey, from production to consumption, and the violence that follows wherever it goes.
Written by: Isaac Muk
“Like skating an amphitheatre”: 50 years of the South Bank skatepark, in photos
Skate 50 — A new exhibition celebrates half a century of British skateboarding’s spiritual centre. Noah Petersons traces the Undercroft’s history and enduring presence as one of the world’s most iconic spots.
Written by: Noah Petersons
“I didn’t care if I got sacked”: Sleazenation’s Scott King in conversation with Radge’s Meg McWilliams
Radgenation — For our 20th Anniversary Issue, Huck’s editor Josh Jones sits down with the legendary art director and the founder of a new magazine from England’s northeast to talk about taking risks, crafting singular covers and disrupting the middle class dominance of the creative industries.
Written by: Josh Jones
Free-spirited, otherworldly portraits of Mexico City’s queer youth
Birds — Pieter Henket’s new collaborative photobook creates a stage for CDMX’s LGBTQ+ community to express themselves without limitations, styling themselves with wild outfits that subvert gender and tradition.
Written by: Isaac Muk
The suave style and subtle codes of gay San Francisco in the ’70s
Seminal Works — Hal Fischer’s new photobook explores the photographer’s archive, in which he documented the street fashion and culture of the city post-Gay Liberation, and pre-AIDS pandemic.
Written by: Miss Rosen
The stripped, DIY experimentalism of SHOOT zine
Zine Scene — Conceived by photographer Paul Mpagi Sepuya in the ’00s, the publication’s photos injected vulnerability into gay portraiture, and provided a window into the characters of the Brooklyn arts scene. A new photobook collates work made across its seven issues.
Written by: Miss Rosen