Beth Nawr ? (what now?) - 2o18

                
                 
        
                                                                       


“ If places are indeed a fundamental aspect of man’s existence in the world, if they are sources of security and identity for individuals and for groups of people, then it is important that the means of experiencing, creating and maintaining significant places ar not lost” - Edward Relph 


South Wales in an area in limbo. The sudden and continuous disappearance of industry that lives were orginally built around has left the land in distress and its people without the pride of their traditional work. South Wales is  now left in an uncertain state, teetering between salvation by conservation and adaptation, and potential destruction, by lost hope and insensitive development.








These images of a post-industrial landscape hint at this potential rise or fall, and aims to encourage conversation between two sides. Some suggest that the natural beauty of South Wales never benefited from industry. Traditional industrial work such as coal mining and steelwork was detrimental to workers and was attributed to generations of ill-health and unnecessary tragedy, scarring the land into black hills and dirty rivers. On the other hand, what is the landscape of South Wales without its industry that was so incredibly important to the development of Britain, and which brought constant work and strong communities to its people?

I have always lived in the shadow of memorialisation, The land and its people seem to be in a constant  state of mourning- for the loss of industry and the often fulfilling way of life that it brought, as well as the danger and deaths it caused, and for diminishing traditions as well as language. Sites of industry are now housing developments, memorials, or house the remains of once revered buildings. Growing up in this land, these images are shaped by my own fears and optimism as well as those that resonate throughout South Wales.







However, far from the area that should be viewed with pessimism, the land is ready to be regenerated and is already being changed. With empathy for the wounds of the land and its people, it is possible to create  a South Wales with emphasises and protects its outstanding landscape. The difficulty lies in attempting to change South Wales’s ancient lifestyle and habits to create a future that promotes a healthy landscape and content people who live within it. There are currently numerous factors that prevent much of this optimism from being realized, but for now “Beth Nawr” is the most interesting question we can consider. 








                      
 


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