Ian Thuillier, an Irish photographer from Dublin, followed Formula 1 around the world during the 2017 season. Now the freelance photographer is preparing a new photography book, dedicated to Grand prix racing – The Violence of Speed. Through his lens, Ian captured the colour, fanfare and excitement of the world of Formula 1. The images in the book document the speed, adrenalin, noise and excitement that make up a Grand Prix weekend.
There also are unique stories from 12 past and present Formula 1 drivers. They talk about their experiences in the cockpit of a Formula 1 car. The interviews include talks with the triple F1 world champion Niki Lauda, 1996 F1 world champion Damon Hill, 1997 F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve, Force India driver Esteban Ocon, etc.
“It’s easy to forget that as we watch these cars racing around a track at 200mph, what isn’t apparent is what is actually going on inside the cockpit. Television really doesn’t convey the huge forces exerted on the drivers”, Ian Thuillier points out in the book’s presentation.
“For 2 hours, a driver’s vision becomes blurred, constant vibrations travel from the steering wheel through their body, they become dehydrated and they tear muscles in their arms and neck due to the enormous g-forces.”
“From Jackie Stewart in the 1960’s, Nikki Lauda in the 1970’s through to Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve in the 1990’s to present day drivers. I tried to get a sense of the violence of speed that drivers experience and to present the views of as many eras of F1 as possible.”
Ian Thuillier captured the colour, fanfare and excitement of the F1 world
The book is available on Ian Thuillier’s crowdfunding campaign at IndieGoGo.
There are some special perks on offer like 3 large signed museum quality archival pigment prints. Or an exclusive postcard pack and other interesting offers. There’s also the book at a reduced rate for the first 150 contributors.
All contributors will get the chance to partake in an online charity auction for the number 1 edition. It will be signed by the 12 F1 drivers who contributed their stories. The proceeds will be donated to the ‘Starlight Children’s Foundation’ charity. This is a nonprofit organization which brightens the lives of seriously ill children and their families.
Ian Thuillier is not only a photographer but also a documentary maker. He won “Best documentary” at the Boston Irish Film Festival with his film debut in 2003. The documentary, called ‘Darkroom’, is about his late brother, the fine art photographer Harry Thuillier Jnr. He had also a nomination for an IFTA award for Best New Talent.
Other documentaries directed by Thuillier include interviews with Edge and Bono of U2, Johnny Marr, Slash, Bob Geldof. His short film called ‘DRIVEN’ was in the selection for the Cork Independent Film Festival as well as IndieLisboa 2014 and Glasgow Short Film Festival. DRIVEN also won an Honourable Mention Award at the 2014 International Berlin Film Festival.
Thuillier was in the 2015 finals of the Sony World Photography Awards, selected from over 100,000 photographers worldwide. He also spent 7 months in Asia which resulted in a photographic exhibition in Dublin called VIETNAM 40. He released a book with the same title, which captured the people and landscape of Vietnam forty years after the war.
Great photos!! Talented guy