Instagram Pick of the Week | Barry Mullins

By Sinead Phelan Last updated Feb 4, 2018

We love Instagram. Why? Because it brings tonnes of visual art right to your finger tips. Follow @thisheadstuff to stay up to date with our finds on our favourite app. You can find our other choices for Instagram Pick of the Week here.

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What is Instagram for you?

For me Instagram is a creative tool, a distraction and a lot of fun. Like most people I get sucked in to mindless scrolling. When that isn’t happening I use it as a platform for any creative output I may have such as photography, music, drawing, t-shirt printing and general pleasing visuals.

All in all, Instagram is a free, online gallery of thought and expression, free of critic and judgement allowing any creative type to share whatever they want and that’s just wonderful.

barrymullins — Barry Mullins | @barry_mullins_creations

Why/when did you decide to start sharing your work there?

I began using Instagram two years ago. At the time, I wasn’t making any work. I was back living with my parents (god bless em’), on the dole and just really struggling for creative direction. I felt a lot of my peers were in the same position so I wanted to start a project to try motivate us all and get some creativity flowing. I thought Instagram would be the perfect way to document it. I titled the project “#creativegrowingpains”. I began posting my drawings to friends asking them to reply with their own creation and to then continue the project themselves. Instagram worked as the perfect platform to share, document and display the whole project and it was free!

Since then I have been using Instagram to share my photography and other creative ideas as well as my day to day work as screen technician in a t-shirt printing workshop in Vancouver, Canada where I have been living for the past year and a half.

How would you describe your style?

There is a feeling I get when I see a beautiful photograph. The colours, shapes, subject matter all hit the right spot conjuring up emotions of joy and appreciation. That is the feeling I am chasing with my work. When I scan in a negative and get that feeling I am happy to share it with people in the hopes that they will have the same reaction.

I try photograph things like mountains, trees, seas, clouds and sunsets. Things of real beauty. By double exposing them I am simply trying to create beautiful images for myself and others to enjoy.

What materials do you mainly work with?

I have a pretty simple set up as I try and approach my work in a very practical and no fuss fashion, double exposing film while relying a lot on chance. I have no idea what images will line up with what in the camera and thats the most fun part for me.

I use my trusted Canon Ae-1 Program, a yellow 52mm filter, a red 52mm filter and any type of 35mm film I can get my hands on. I play around in camera with light burns and avoid photoshop completely. I have a negs scanner and thats it.

Who has been or currently is an influence on you?

LIFE influences me! The whole world around us is full of so much beauty and wonder you just have to take a moment to enjoy it. And also Ryan McGinely. His photos are the best.

What are your must-follow accounts on Instagram?

Honestly nothing motivates and inspires me more than my friends who are out there carving their own path in this big bad world. So some of my must follow accounts are @sophiegough4

@emily_robards_artist @eoinbarry061 @daireoshea @ stephenmorton_