Alain Le Garsmeur

'Antongil Bay'

1980

Best known for his frank images of the brutality of the Northern Ireland Conflict — also called “the Troubles” — as well as for capturing the mundanities of daily life around the world, Alain Le Garsmeur is a prolific editorial and documentary photographer. His photography of the 1970s and 1980s garnered him widespread acclaim.

Le Garsmeur attended the Ealing Art College — now part of the University of West London. He began working as an assistant for notable photographers including Helmut Newton, Donald Silverstein and Guy Bourdin after concluding his studies. Le Garsmeur started to secure assignments in 1970 as a freelancer working for the Sunday Times and the Observer. His work later appeared in Figaro, the Independent, Geo magazine, Newsweek and Infinito.

Whether documenting the ubiquitous murals that appeared in Belfast during the Troubles, scenes of the bombings and vivid acts of violence that took place during the war, or the British Army marching through the city’s streets, Le Garsmeur created enduring images of the years-long conflict. He also focused on capturing the life of an average citizen during the war. Le Garsmeur’s color photography of the era provides a unique insight into wartime that is unlike what is typically published in history textbooks.

As a photographer for the Observer magazine, Le Garsmeur won the 1986 World Press Award for his work while on assignment in China, with one photo earning him first prize in the “Daily Life” category. His work featuring landscapes of Ireland and Britain have also been published in numerous books including W.B.Yeats: Images of Ireland, Lough Erne and Stopping Train Britain. 

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