NO CONSENT
Set in the County of Mayo, Ireland, 'No Consent' is a standoff between locals and a large corporation, threatening the livelihood of many hard-working members of the Mayo community. Gavin Mullan documented the physical changes to the landscape and the emotional, sombre, and bleak shot body of work. A grey blanket sweeps across our eyes, the chances of this community may be small against such a large force, but protesters still stand up and be counted, people are still active within this small community.
The company responsible, Shell, plans to harvest gas that occupies one trillion cubic feet off the coast of Ireland. Once the gas has been gathered, it will be transported inland, cleaned and prepared for sale. This plan by Shell will have a dramatic effect on the lives of people as well as the aesthetics of the landscape. Generation after generation of working the tough earth will be lost, under the shadow of the need for more natural resources, not only land will be lost, but the cultural heritage of the landscape. Something Mullan hangs onto, documenting the land before it changes, and takes a new form, a form that reflects the need of the rich rather than the needs of the people.
There is a quiet, almost bleak feel to Mullan's work. A patient wait for something good to happen, a realistic outlook on the events which are about to unfold, as opposed to a project fuelled by foolish hope and optimism about a very real set of circumstances.
Words by Harry Rose
