After the Off

Set in rural Ireland, against the backdrop of gambling at local racetracks, After the Off combines the intensity of Bruce Gilden's powerful black and white portraits with the vividly atmospheric storytelling of Dermot Healy. It is a powerful synthesis of exhilarating texture, combining the direct and the surreal in complex and subtle layers, and creating a riveting and dynamic portrait of a fascinating aspect of rural Irish life. In the craggy faces of these old Irish men, Gilden shows us the wisdom, fiery independence, and spirit of a country straddling tradition and the future. He has published three previous books, the last of which, Haiti, was the winner of the 1996 European Publishers Award for Photography.