A photography exhibit shows how national historic events have shaped the Northeast
A fascinating new exhibition documenting the changing social, demographic and political landscapes of the past 35 years has opened in Hartlepool.
The free exhibition – ‘Macromancy: Britain and North East England 1986 to 2022’ – by British documentary filmmaker and editorial photojournalist Mark Pinder is at the Hartlepool Art Gallery in Church Square until Saturday July 9.
The northeast-based photographer, whose work is regularly featured in major UK media including The Guardian and The Independent, has been at the forefront of breaking news for over three decades, capturing many events that shaped recent British history.
Alongside his work for major national and international publications, he has chronicled social, political and economic change and his latest exhibition offers unique insight into the impact of these changes on the region.
Young punk and his dog, Fenham, Newcastle 1988. Copyright Mark Pinder.
Nowhere are these changes more evident than in Hartlepool – a place Mark Pinder has been drawn to on several occasions. Whether officially ‘on duty’ for the media or visiting due to the city’s fascination with it, the resulting images offer a glimpse of the effect that the national events that defined British history recent events have had on the social, economic and cultural integrity of the Northeast.
Mark Pinder said: ‘I have spent the last 35 years documenting the seismic shifts in the cultural, economic and political fortunes of the North East and Hartlepool figures prominently in that narrative as a place that has often been very important for our understanding of the larger dynamics of where we find ourselves as a country.
Disused oil rig awaiting decommissioning, Seaton Carew, November 2019. Copyright Mark Pinder.
Angela Thomas, Curator of Hartlepool Borough Council Art Gallery, added: “We are delighted to be working with Mark on Macromancy – the exhibition paints a fascinating picture of life in the UK over the past three decades.
“Many of us will remember the events and stories Mark captured, but in bringing these images together for the first time, we have the unique opportunity to reflect on them as a whole and consider how they have shaped our lives. .”
The exhibition, which is in collaboration with the Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art, has been organized into four ‘chapters’ spanning the period 1986-2022, with people invited to revisit them and walk through the events that shaped the thirty-five last years.
The art gallery is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. For more information call (01429) 869706 or visit www.hartlepoolartgallery.co.uk
