COALFACES: A MINING COMMUNITY IN PHOTOS | ART PREVIEW
The Winding House, New Tredegar
Sat 4 May-Sat 1 Mar 2014
Admission: Free
In the 1970s, Swedish photographer and now award-winning film and television director Kjell-Åke Andersson travelled to Wales to live amongst the residents of the small, Rhymney Valley town of Bargoed. During his time there, he created a stunning collection of frank, poignant images to illustrate the experiences of a generation of miners. Depicting life both at work and at play, the collection presents a view of social, cultural and industrial history across Caerphilly County Borough and other valleys communities. Andersson provides a thought-provoking and extremely personal observation of working-class life in South Wales, emphasising the uniqueness and strength of the ties that existed between these communities and in turn highlighting the role of photography as arguably the world’s most democratic and candid way of recording historical circumstance.
The photographs were originally published in Swedish book Gruvarbetare I Wales (Miners Of Wales) but have now been donated to Winding House’s gallery by Andersson himself, to be showcased as part of Cardiff International Festival Of Photography, Diffusion. The 10-month-long exhibition will explore life in Bargoed and other mining communities; bringing together photographs, artefacts and anecdotes to create a space in which those present at the time can recollect and share memories and younger generations can appreciate the significance of their heritage.
Info: 01443 822 666/ www.windinghouse.co.uk