In the article “Lacuna: New Perspectives on the Border in Ireland,” author Justin Carville examines the recent photographic work of Kate Nolan titled Lacuna.  Carville provides information on Brexit, to offer a better understanding of where Nolan’s work stems from. In addition to the conversation on Lacuna, the author describes Nolan’s work at her solo  exhibition at the Gallery of Photography in September 2017, in Dublin, Ireland. Kate Nolan’s Lacuna series explores everyday experiences of living alongside the Irish border through the local people of Pettigo, County Donegal. Lacuna was conceived as a result of early speculation of Brexit, as well as the possible hardening of the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.

 

Nolan’s Lacuna emerges as the psychological anxieties of living in a pre-Brexit border town. Although Lacuna was created after the initial thought of Brexit, Carville states it is important to note that Nolan did not create Lacuna to highlight the political and cultural weight of Brexit. He goes on further to say that this distinction, if not noted, can obscure the subtle and typical experiences of living in a border-town. Lastly, the author provides detailed information on the Lacuna works displayed at her solo exhibition, in Dublin. Carville walks the reader through the exhibition, describing Nolan’s work, allowing them to picture themselves as if they were there.