New exhibition looks at impact of renewable energy technologies on our coalfields
The exhibition is free and reflects on tough times.
A new exhibition at Arts Centre Washington (ACW) explores how green and renewable energy technologies have impacted what was the East Durham coalfield.
The free exhibition, Stronger Seams: Beyond Coal, has been produced by East Durham Artists’ Network (EDAN) and was first shown in the network’s own gallery on Church Street in Seaham.
About 20 artists have contributed to the exhibition, which features paintings, sculptures, fashion and photography.
EDAN’s co-chair Angela Sandwith is one of the contributing artists. One of her pieces for the show is called Make Do, a wedding dress made from net curtains, a damask table cloth and kitchen scrubbers.
“It reflects when times were so tough in the Durham coalfield and women in particular had to make do and mend and be creative to provide for their families,” explained Angela.
She went on: “The first showing of the exhibition at our own gallery examined the continuing influence of the coal industry on both local people and policymakers - this version broadens the theme to include coal itself.”
Jac Seery-Howard, co-chair and curator at EDAN, has been inspired by objects found on Seaham’s Blast Beach, where for 80 years local collieries tipped millions of tons of rock and coal waste.
“Clean-up operations have left a unique landscape, peppered with reminders of the area’s industrial heritage.
“I’ve used part of an old pit conveyor belt as the centrepiece of one piece of work, while for another I’ve used imagery of a conveyor belt in a drawing to create a deep mine.
“At the top of the mine there are some wind turbines, reflecting some of the journey the area has been on and how East Durham is still involved in energy production, but in a different way.”
Ceramicist Kay Holborn Bond has created three linked sculpture pieces Sermon for an Energy Landscape – Misery, Thankfulness and Redemption – for the exhibition.
Kay explained: “The three pieces represent three ages of coal. Misery is pre-regulation, when mining was a dangerous job and so many people were killed. Thankfulness is for regulation which made conditions in the mines so much safer and lives were saved.
“Redemption is for the here and now, when homes are being heated by flooded mine water,nand the area is producing green energy through wind turbines.”
Other pieces include artwork from two former miners and pottery created from mine slurry.
Matt Blyth, General Manager at ACW, said: “We’re delighted to be hosting EDAN’s powerful and thought-provoking exhibition at the venue.
“The exhibition explores what wind and solar power developments mean for local landscapes and seascapes that are still recovering from the destruction of coal mining – and it suggests a broader conversation is needed about the former coalfields and new energy technologies.”
Stronger Seams: Beyond Coal is open at ACW until Saturday, July 25, and many of the artworks are for sale.
EDAN’s Church Street gallery in Seaham is open Tuesday to Saturday (11am to 3pm).
Formed in 2004, EDAN is a voluntary group of East Durham professional and amateur artists working in a wide variety of media. For more information about the group and its artists, go to https://www.edanart.co.uk