This series was photographed in Newport, Wales. The work looks at everyday life in the city during a period of change and uncertainty. Children played in abandoned buildings left behind by redevelopment. In church halls, ballet lessons and drawing classes carried on, giving structure and creativity to young people’s lives. At the same time, older residents kept up their routines, swimming together and holding on to traditions of community. The photographs record ordinary moments in Newport—play, learning, and leisure—set against the backdrop of a city in transition.
Share
Dublin, Ireland | 2025
Eric Luke is an award-winning Irish photographer with over 45 years’ experience, including a long career at The Irish Times. His work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, with venues ranging from IMMA and The National Gallery of Ireland to World Press Photo Amsterdam and the United Nations in New York. He has photographed major global events — including five Olympic Games and two World Cups — and worked on assignments across Europe, the United States, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Now focused on long-term personal projects, Luke works primarily with black-and-white film, documenting everyday life in Ireland and building an archive that spans five decades. Here is his website for more of his work https://ericluke.com/
Dublin, Ireland | 1990
Older people stood along the pavement trying on second-hand shoes, lifting pairs from cardboard boxes and testing the fit right there in the street. Others bent to pick through clothes and household items spread out on the ground, looking for something useful or affordable. Children drifted between adults, stopping to watch, while neighbours paused to talk at doorways and shopfronts. Cumberland Street at that time had a lived-in feel — modest homes, a close community, and the everyday rhythm of people making the most of what was available. These moments now form a record of a Dublin that has changed almost beyond recognition.
Paris, France | 1992
In 1991, I often wandered around Beaubourg — the Centre Pompidou and the square that surrounded it. It was one of those rare places in Paris where everyone seemed to belong: street performers, sketch artists, jugglers, breakdancers, and the endless flow of people who stopped to watch. I would spend hours photographing the faces in the crowd — the laughter, curiosity, and fleeting moments between performer and spectator. It was a living theatre, open to all, and I loved its energy. Now, as Beaubourg prepares to close for five years of renovation, I think back to those afternoons with my camera and remember a Paris that felt both raw and spontaneous — a city performing for itself.