Bounced Cheques | Joanne Conlon

Joanne Betty Conlon has been taking photographs in the market area of Dublin 7 over the last 10 years. She cycles through this gritty working-class area on her commute to work. Betty started to take her camera, beginning her commute earlier, giving her time to stop and capture this unique community. She reveled in the noise and energy while weaving through forklifts and lorries, witnessing friendships and comradeliness among the workers.

This area's heart lies in the large Victorian Wholesale Fruit and Vegetable Market. This magnificent red brick and terracotta building opened in 1892. Dubliners had been trading within its walls for over 125 years. Some of the traders went back generations. It closed its doors in 2019 to make way for significant refurbishment. It presently lies idol awaiting its new faith. As a result, the area has become a shadow of its former self. It’s besieged by new hotels that swallow up the streets, leaving no room for everyday living. This regeneration/gentrification may not benefit the remaining local traders and residents.

Betty documented the slow decline and deterioration of the market and its surrounding area. As the traders were pushed away and dispersed, their banks became vast gaps. They leave behind an echo of the past of what is lost. The sounds of fruit crates being stacked and forklifts beeping along their way as they distribute flowers, fruit and vegetables. As each trader disappeared, Betty recognised the importance of this loss and within her wisdom, began to photograph and record those that were left behind. Through this archive, her work highlights the blanket of sadness that covers what was once a joyful, vibrant place where people once had a purpose. The voices that chatted cheerfully for so many years sit within the walls of the building. If you stay quiet and close your eyes, you can still hear their banter.

People leave a mark on a place. They leave behind their DNA, their memories and their vibrations. The market traders were part of the building, and the building was a part of them. With her double exposure prints, Betty brings together the people and the market. The two become one by osmosis. She gives them permanence by blending them into this space, which was once a significant part of their lives. There is a stillness and sadness to their demeanor as they realise that this time of their life is ending without them having a choice.

Betty has gathered discarded objects from the market which tell their stories and narratives in their own right. She endeavors to tell the story of this vital part of working-class Dublin through photography, mixed media, recordings and found objects. Through her work, she shows an appreciation of this beautiful Victorian building and the traders who worked there. The market may be silent, but their spirits still linger within its walls. Her work is a reminder of lost voices. Betty hopes to progress this work further into a book.

https://joanneconlon.com/