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Demise of an industry

Work inspired by the  coal-mining industry of South Wales

This body of work has emerged as my response to the demise of coal-mining in the valleys of South Wales.   As the industry grew, the landscape and society were transformed; the brutal exploitation of resources accompanied by fierce community spirit and human resilience.  As it declined, the industrial infrastructure was destroyed and the community mourned a loss of purpose and way of life; but the hills are now green and the air is clear.

I use slip-cast porcelain, fired in saggars along with other materials such as metal, paper, fibre glass and organic materials gathered from the Welsh hills.  The work is often partially destroyed in the making and continues to decay once out of the kiln. The pieces suggest the transience of progress and the fragility of human life. 

 

Each piece is named after an individual Welsh coal mine or mine shaft.

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