A Sense of Place, an exhibition featuring new work from artist Kane Cunningham opens at Skinningrove’s Land of Iron museum on Monday 21st October.
The artwork explores the area of East Cleveland; its landscapes and geology; its people and its industry via a series of 10 original etchings.
The project has been funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) administered by the Tees Valley Mayor and Combined Authority.
As part of the project, Cunningham also engaged with Year 6 pupils from St Peter’s C of E Primary School in Brotton to create a large collage tracing changes to the local landscape through time. The collage will be on display along with Kane Cunningham’s work in Land of Iron’s Tom Leonard Gallery.
Kane Cunningham first visited Skinningrove in 1986 when he was on holiday in Whitby. He said:
‘I remember travelling over the tops from Staithes via Boulby Bank in a brown Ford Cortina and driving down the hill past pigeon lofts, boat sheds, and into a world of which he had never really encountered before.’
He recalls later seeing the photography of Chris Killip and how those images made a lasting impression.
‘Like others who had visited this coastline, there was something different about the place, but identifying why it felt different was a challenge. There was a strong sense that something had happened here, and that over time, the community was living with and adapting to seismic changes that have had a generational impact.’
This body of work and the childrens’ collage interprets photos taken by Cunningham and from Land of Iron’s archive, and explores the changes that occurred not only in the natural landscape, but also in the social landscape, as a direct result of industry. It explores how this coastline, its landscape and its people, have been shaped by the ending of a once booming industry and the emotional response to the narratives that emerged from the research and the impact it had on people's lives.
Miranda Foster, teacher at St Peter’s C of E Primary School, said:
‘We all really enjoyed taking part and there was a lot of energy in the classroom when they were completing the art work. Being a part of a joint project with Land of Iron and an established artist like Kane Cunningham was really worthwhile and something different for the children to experience.’
Marie Woods, Chief Executive of Land of Iron. said:
‘One of our goals at Land of Iron is to engage our community with the industrial heritage of the area. Through the funding provided by UKSPF and TVCA, we have not only been able to commission Kane Cunningham to create new art inspired by our collection but also to work with one of our local schools in making their own mural based on our local history.
It has been incredibly exciting to see what has been produced and we can’t wait for visitors to the museum to see it for themselves.’
A Sense of Place runs from Monday 21st October until Saturday 11th January. Admission is free with regular museum entrance.