The Invisible In-between: An Englishman’s Search For The Irish Border, began as a response to the results of the UK’s Brexit referendum. Poyser spent three years researching, travelling and photographing the full length of the 510 km Irish border. Creating fine art photographic prints, then tearing them in half.
The materiality of the border is shown through a physical tear, making the invisible, visible. The act of tearing creates uneasiness, evoking notions of the political and economic tensions surrounding the border's position within the Brexit negotiations, symbolising the divorce of the UK from the 27 remaining states. The Invisible In-between shows the viewer the reality of the border & encourages them to explore the intangible nature & uneasiness surrounding it.
Poyser walked areas of the border with Irish border born poets Conor O’Callaghan, & Jacqui Devenney Reed, and consulted with author of The Rule of the Land: Walking Ireland's Border. (Faber & Faber) Garrett Carr.
In an introduction to the The Invisible In-between Carr writes,
“Poyser went further than just photographing the route of this invisible frontier. He has taken hold of the physical photographs and ripped them along the borderline. Each tear is, I think, a stroke of brilliance. It is more of an act than a mark, although it has left a visual record of itself, and it is more eloquent than one hundred newspaper articles about the border.”
The Invisible In-between documents the border during the time of uncertainty between the invocation of Article 50 in March 2017 and the UK’s exit from the EU on 31st December 2020. Although the border acts as an administrative and political division, Poyser describes it as ‘an imaginary boundary’ with little physical evidence of its existence.“I was quite conscious that I wanted these images to be a record in time, as when Article 50 was invoked no-one knew how the border would be impacted, and we still don’t”
Poyser invited the public to consider the impact of their referendum vote, on those living on the Irish border and how it will impact their future. He asks them to tear the photograph where they think the border is, and write a comment about this period of uncertainty and Brexit. Nobody wanted a physical border, the reaction emotions were strong on all sides.
Below are a selection of fine art prints torn by Poyser showing the physical border within each photograph and over 500 torn photographs and comments by participating members of the public.
People were given simple instructions when asked to participate.
Choose a photograph
Tear the photograph along where they think the UK / EU border is, within the photograph
Glue the two separate pieces of the photograph to the page
Comment on how they feel about the period of uncertainty since Article 50 was invoked and the potential Brexit.
Write their first name and where they come from.
To purchase a copy of the book please visit https://www.tristanpoyser.com/p/shop
The materiality of the border is shown through a physical tear, making the invisible, visible. The act of tearing creates uneasiness, evoking notions of the political and economic tensions surrounding the border's position within the Brexit negotiations, symbolising the divorce of the UK from the 27 remaining states. The Invisible In-between shows the viewer the reality of the border & encourages them to explore the intangible nature & uneasiness surrounding it.
Poyser walked areas of the border with Irish border born poets Conor O’Callaghan, & Jacqui Devenney Reed, and consulted with author of The Rule of the Land: Walking Ireland's Border. (Faber & Faber) Garrett Carr.
In an introduction to the The Invisible In-between Carr writes,
“Poyser went further than just photographing the route of this invisible frontier. He has taken hold of the physical photographs and ripped them along the borderline. Each tear is, I think, a stroke of brilliance. It is more of an act than a mark, although it has left a visual record of itself, and it is more eloquent than one hundred newspaper articles about the border.”
The Invisible In-between documents the border during the time of uncertainty between the invocation of Article 50 in March 2017 and the UK’s exit from the EU on 31st December 2020. Although the border acts as an administrative and political division, Poyser describes it as ‘an imaginary boundary’ with little physical evidence of its existence.“I was quite conscious that I wanted these images to be a record in time, as when Article 50 was invoked no-one knew how the border would be impacted, and we still don’t”
Poyser invited the public to consider the impact of their referendum vote, on those living on the Irish border and how it will impact their future. He asks them to tear the photograph where they think the border is, and write a comment about this period of uncertainty and Brexit. Nobody wanted a physical border, the reaction emotions were strong on all sides.
Below are a selection of fine art prints torn by Poyser showing the physical border within each photograph and over 500 torn photographs and comments by participating members of the public.
People were given simple instructions when asked to participate.
Choose a photograph
Tear the photograph along where they think the UK / EU border is, within the photograph
Glue the two separate pieces of the photograph to the page
Comment on how they feel about the period of uncertainty since Article 50 was invoked and the potential Brexit.
Write their first name and where they come from.
To purchase a copy of the book please visit https://www.tristanpoyser.com/p/shop
Loading ()...
-
8 galleries
-
15 imagesThe Invisible In-between has exhibited at: Argentia Gallery, Birmingham. Where it won the RBSA photographic Prize 2019. Belfast Exposed Gallery. As a Futures solo exhibition. Format International Photography Festival, part of Derby Photo Fringe and GRAIN / Format East meets West. Look Photography Festival, Liverpool. Where the projection van made it's first intervention. Hull International Photography Festival. In the Wake Of Brexit, Brixton. Where the projection van made another intervention to coincide with the proposed withdrawal date of 31/10/2019. Artlink Fort Dunree, Republic of Ireland to coincide with the actual Brexit.