AGREEMENT (2004–2023) is a series of fourteen silent video portraits depicting individuals involved in the Good Friday / Belfast Peace Agreement of 1998.
Featuring, in order of filming: : David Ervine, PUP, (2004); John Alderdice, Alliance Party, (2005); Martin McGuinness, Sinn Féin, (2005); John Hume, SDLP, (2005); David Trimble, UUP, (2017); George Mitchell, United States Special Envoy for NI, (2018); Monica McWilliams, NIWC, (2019); Pearl Sagar, NIWC, (2019); Seamus Mallon SDLP, (2019); Bertie Ahern, Fianna Fáil Taoiseach, (2019); Gary McMichael, UDP, (2022); Malachi Curran, Labour Party of NI, (2022); Gerry Adams, Sinn Féin, (2022); Mo Mowlam, Secretary of State for NI, whose portrait was created with an actor and digitally processed using AI/machine learning and RTE archival media (2023).
The individuals depicted represent the diverse collective communities in Northern Ireland, and the same dark red velvet curtain is used for each portrait, providing a visual parity of composition. The portraits embody positive political action, and this continues to gain conceptual importance.
The lighting is purposely reminiscent of painterly use of light and complements facial features. The camera acts as a gatherer of light. These are portraits of light painted in pixels. The shifting light replicates the shifting subtleties of the sitter's face. The substance of light and colour dissolves into the image. A subtle moving image appears on the flat surface of the material being projected or shines through the glass of a monitor.
AGREEMENT (2004-2023), Edition of 3 - Irish, UK, USA + 1AP.
AGREEMENT Edition 1, Irish Edition the collection of University of Limerick, Ireland.