Paul Seawright - Inside Information - 1995

Inside Information: Photographs 1988–1995 is the first monograph book and exhibition catalogue by the acclaimed Northern Irish contemporary photographer Paul Seawright, published in 1995.

The book was published in conjunction with a major exhibition co-organized by The Photographers' Gallery in London and the Gallery of Photography in Dublin. It features critical essays by prominent figures such as Val Williams, Steve Bruce, and Ciaran Carson.

The volume compiles Seawright’s three earliest, highly influential photographic series. They document an "insider's view" of the social, cultural, and political landscapes of Northern Ireland during the final decade of the Troubles.

:Sectarian Murder (1988): A chilling series where Seawright revisited the childhood memories of news reports by photographing the precise, mundane locations where sectarian executions had occurred. He famously paired these quiet, forensic images of ordinary spaces (like playgrounds or roadsides) with stark text taken from period newspaper clippings.The Orange Order (1991): An exploration of the visual culture, symbols, and atmosphere surrounding Protestant marching traditions and communities in Northern Ireland. Police Force (1995): A project that took viewers behind closed doors and inside the everyday reality of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), offering an intimate look at local policing amid civil conflict.

Seawright's work in Inside Information marked a major shift away from traditional, action-driven photojournalism and news reportage. Instead of capturing active violence or overt political cliches, he utilized an exploratory, metaphorical approach. By focusing on quiet, tense landscapes, everyday textures, and subtle details, his photographs evoke themes of memory, trauma, and systemic division.Because it has been out of print for many years, the book remains a highly sought-after collectible in the history of British and Irish documentary photobooks.