Baring all for the sake of art: Cork based artist Ian Brennan's latest exhibition

Last year, the artist Ian Brennan put the word out on Facebook that he was looking for volunteers to pose nude. People got back to him in their droves, aged from their twenties right up to their seventies. He went with 10 of them, two of which became the focus for an accompanying documentary to go with an exhibition.

Brennan wanted them to do more than sit for him. He had them bare their souls, what he calls their “shadow sides”, and he responded in kind. He says he put a huge effort into each portrait. Some took about a month to complete after which he often had to take a break for a fortnight — he was so exhausted emotionally by the effort. At times, it drew him to the edge of physical sickness. He shed tears. He was tapping into his own life’s battles.