SMUT Press is delighted to announce the upcoming release of ‘Close One’s Eyes,’ a 40 page photographic and text based zine by emerging photographer Peter Greene as the fourth publication in our printed matter series, available from the 11th of January. Whilst the zine’s title (a line paraphrased from a line in Bachelard’s renowned work, ‘The Poetics of Space’) may be a clear reference to concerns of the body in space, more widely this work can be regarded as a focus on the core idea of any experience of a space and time as being deeply particular and individual. 

“Small intricacies 

moments and pleasures”

- Excerpt from text from ‘Close One’s Eyes’

Just as the line above suggests, Greene aims to capture the tender moments of beauty and quiet that exist in the in-between and frequently overlooked.  Whether it is a person leaning over the edge of a bed, their back to us a suggestion of a deeply personal moment or the drama of warm red lights shining through the gaps in condensation of an interior window, these shots transcend the ever present subjectivity of the photographer, to exist formally as observations of quiet, unsuspecting beauty.  

Influenced by themes of placelessness, this carefully considered work responds to the unstable connections that exist between people and their environment. Greene’s experimental use of text and approach to language attempts to articulate an understanding of a world filled with uncertainty. For Greene, this sense of placelessness was borne from a social landscape in flux caused by the consequences of a city restricted by pandemic conditions. However, ‘Close One’s Eyes’ is a work that surpasses categorisation as simply a work in response to the COVID-19 pandemic; these are atmospheric, timeless photos and a powerful statement of intent from an emerging talent.

Peter Greene is a photographer and visual artist based in Dublin, currently in his final year of the BA course in  Photography and Visual Media at the Institute of Art and Design in Dublin.  Greene uses his photography as a vehicle to document and reflect on the world around himself but also as a tool to generate significance to that world. This is Peter’s first published zine and the fourth work of printed matter to be commissioned by SMUT Press. SMUT Press is a collective print publishing project based between Dublin and London founded in 2022 by Jack Scollard and Jordan Hearns. The press aims to spotlight and support queer artists to produce printed matter, founded on the support of a wider community, artistic collaboration and mutual cooperation.

'Close One’s Eyes’

40 pages

Edition of 70

Cover printed on 300gsm premium uncoated paper 

Inner pages printed on 130gsm silk

£12/€15