Kronn’s contribution to IMMA stands as the most significant donation of photographs ever made in Ireland. “I don’t have any offspring,” he shares, “so I was contemplating where I would leave my collection. One of my priorities is preserving the collection as a cohesive body of work, and it appeared to be a sensible choice to donate it to Ireland.
“I reached out to IMMA, and the director back then, Enrique Juncosa, visited New York. Upon seeing the collection, he immediately expressed interest in acquiring it. That was over 15 years ago, so it’s taken time. However, I am pleased that my collection will eventually belong to the national collection.”
Kronn connects his passion for photography to his school years in Dublin. “Our scout master happened to be a photojournalist,” he recalls, “which led us to learn how to process photographs. That was a solid beginning. I became quite skilled while studying Medicine at Trinity, and soon after, people started requesting me to take their photographs. Hence, my enthusiasm for the medium existed even before I moved to New York.”
Doug DuBois’ photograph from Cobh in Co Cork: My Last Day at Seventeen: Aisling and Jemma’s First Communion.
During that period, in the early 1990s, New York was the nucleus of the photographic art scene. “There were numerous photography galleries, and I was frequently invited to exhibitions.
“Eventually, I became engaged with the International Centre for Photography. I became immersed in that realm and began attending auctions. At one point, I acquired a photograph, igniting my passion for collecting.
“I believe the first photograph I purchased at auction was by William Claxton, titled The Release. Early on, I also obtained a Bernice Abbott photograph, which is currently on display at IMMA. I fondly recall purchasing two photographs by Helmut Newton, one portraying Charlotte Romping and another of David Bowie, both of which still adorn my wall. I developed from there, starting to buy from galleries, and nowadays, I engage directly with photographers.”
Many photographers he has befriended hail from Ireland, while others are situated in America and Europe. “In Ireland, I work with individuals like Conor Horgan, Aoife Shanahan, David Farrell, and Tony O’Shea. Meanwhile, in America, I have a deep collaboration with Mark Riddell.
“I’ve also accumulated a significant amount of work from Ursula Schulz-Dornburg, who operates out of Dusseldorf. She is part of the Becher School of photography, focusing on documenting transitional spaces and disappearing areas worldwide.”
Louise Bourgeois, by Annie Leibovitz.
Kronn mentions that his collection embodies a multitude of themes. “As a pediatrician, or medical geneticist, I have a particular interest in images of children,” he states. “Yet, I am also attracted to abstract photography and the concept of time within the medium, observing transformations. This might manifest in two complementary photographs or in a single image demonstrating movement in various forms.
“There are myriad methods of conceptualizing time in photography. It can be historical, for example; capturing a photograph of a location where significant events transpired creates an intriguing record of occurrences in that area. Such elements always pique my interest and are a focus within my collection.”
Kronn recognizes that the choice to donate his collection to IMMA has impacted his current collecting approach. “I now tend to acquire several photographs from the same photographer rather than just one at a time, as I consider how the images will be displayed at the museum eventually. Therefore, this is a key factor in the collection. You’re not merely purchasing photographs; you’re contemplating their curation and presentation as well.”
Millerton, New York, 1978, by Mark Goodman.
Kronn has partnered with IMMA’s chief curator, Seán Kissane, on the four exhibitions of his collection that the museum has hosted to date: Out of the Dark Room in 2011 featured works like Herb Ritts’ iconic image of Madonna and Robert Mapplethorpe’s portrait of Laurie Anderson; Second Sight in 2014 highlighted several leading Irish photographers such as Willie Doherty, Paul Seawright, and Gerard Byrne; while Northern Light in 2020 explored the history of conflict in Northern Ireland and exhibited works by Gilles Peress, Hiroshi Sugimoto, and Donovan Wylie, among many others.
Kronn has played an active role in organizing all four exhibitions. “I’ve had the opportunity to do a bit of curating,” he explains, “considering how the photographs should be displayed and how they connect with one another. It has been incredibly fulfilling and educational.”
He has also been involved in assembling catalogs for the exhibitions. “So far, we’ve completed three, and we’re contemplating another exhibition in the coming years, so there will likely be an additional catalog for that.”
An image by Alice Maher.
Kronn is uncertain about the total number of photographs he plans to donate to IMMA. “However, there must be well over 1,000 photographs at this stage, and I’m continuing to collect.” He has also sustained his passion for photography. “I had one image featured in the previous exhibition, Northern Light; it was essentially a COVID self-portrait. I think that’s the sole photograph of mine that has been exhibited thus far. But I am actively creating, and perhaps someday we will witness more.”
David Kronn Photography Collection will be displayed at the East Ground Galleries at IMMA until Sunday, January 26. For more details, visit imma.ie. ![](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,<svg height="400px" width="600px" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" version="1.1"/>)
