'The First Draft' is an artistic homecoming, bringing internationally influenced work back to the roots of Rich Gilligan's creative journey and offers a contemplative look at the themes of belonging, identity, and coming of age in suburbia. The book revisits Gilligan's early projects created around Blanchardstown in Dublin which are presented as non-sequential vignettes exploring the complex relationship we often hold with the places that shape us, inviting audiences to experience a dialogue between past and present, where transient moments explore the process of coming of age. Each photograph, whether revisiting past work or presenting fresh perspectives, serves as a personal yet universally resonant meditation on how our environments shape our outlooks and identities.

Featuring essays by Ken Grant & Sue Rainsford

Published by Driftwood Editions Design and Production by an Atelier Project Print and Lithography by MM Fine Art Book Printing & Repro

Hardback, linen bound cover, 120 pages Edition of 500

Bio: Rich Gilligan is a photographer from Dublin, Ireland. He began his work making his own zines as a teenager and then went on to work as a skateboard photographer for a variety of publications worldwide. He now shoots a wide range of commissioned projects while continuing to pursue his own personal work. Until recently Rich was based in New York, but in 2020 he relocated to Wicklow where he continues to work on projects both in & out of Ireland. Previous photographic publications include Time/Line (Self Published) 2008, DIY (1980 Editions) 2012, Rituals (AAD) 2014, Burnside (Driftwood) 2014, DIY (Prestel) 2014, Town (The Salvage Press) 2018 and All Sorts Of Impossible Things (Driftwood Editions) 2022. His work has been published in iD, T Magazine, The New York Times, Vogue, Port, The New Yorker, Source & Time.

Social media handles

@richgilligan & @driftwoodeditions