BA Photography · SONDER · Yr2 National Museum Project 2018

DER

IMAGE?

Published by: University of South Wales BA (Hons) Photography University of South Wales (ATRiuM Building) 86-88 Adam Street Cardiff CF24 2FN Copyright Š University of South Wales, 2018 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the publishers.

The authors have asserted their rights to be identified as the authors of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

ISBN: 978-1-909838-34-5 Printed by: Taylor Brothers, Bristol Published September 2018

sonder

[sohn-dehrr] (n.) The realization that each passerby has a life as vivid and complex as your own.

CONTRIBUTORS 4-5 6-7 8-11 12-15

MATT WHITE & BRONWEN COLQUHOUN

48-51

NIA THOMAS

52-53

ALINA HIBBERT

54-55

LLYR TONGE

56-57

GARMON EVANS

58-61

WILLIAM MORGAN

62-63

JESSICA CLEEVES

64-65

LUCY ABRAHAM

66-67

ROWAN KATY QUINTON

68-71

AERIN HOPE THOMAS

72-74

SAM STURT

JO BARTON

^

BECCA HEAD JESS TENNANT

16-17

ELEANOR DAVIS

20-23

KATE BUTCHER

24-25

KATE DICKINSON

26-29

RUBY GRAHAM

30-31

NEURIN TRACE

32-33

ANNA GOLDBERG

34-35

DANIEL THOMAS

75

ELEANOR DAVIS

76-79

HANNAH WILLIAMS

80-81

DEACON THOMAS

36-37

TOMAS VAUGHAN

38-39

ADRIANNA URYSZEK 82-85

DENISE RECCHIA

40-41

JO BARTON & ALIE RUTTY

86-87

LUKA AMBOKADZE

42-45

LEWIS BRYMNER

88-91

MORGAN WOODWARD

46-47

LAUREN HORNSBY

INTRODUCTION

This collection of works are the result of an immersive twelve-week collaboration between second year BA Photography students from the University of South Wales and The National Museum Wales. The students were invited to choose one of the National Museum sites as a starting point for an extended period of visual and conceptual research that resulted in a diverse set of individual photographic responses to the museum and its associated cultural contexts.

We would like to extend our sincerest thanks to the National Museum Wales, and in particular Steph Burge, for their continued support, patience and generosity in making these incredible responses possible.

Matt White Senior Lecturer in Photography, USW.

This publication is the product of a challenging brief to create a body of work using Amgueddfa CymruNational Museum Wales as a case study. On the one hand, the brief presented a unique opportunity to explore the different functions of a public museum, from their educational and civic responsibilities, to their role in representing and responding to people, place and society. On the other hand, the brief posed a daunting task given the intricacies and complexities of such a multi-faceted institution.

Amgueddfa Cymru comprises seven national museums that span disciplines including Art, Natural Sciences, Social and Industrial History and Archaeology.

It attracts 1.8 million visitors per year and employs over 600 members of staff. Uniquely interdisciplinary, the collections are extensive and include over 5 million objects. These range from a pithead bath bar of soap, to a 16th century church, to Renoir’s La Parisienne.

The collections are spread across the seven sites with the majority being housed at National Museum Cardiff and the National Collections Centre in Nantgarw.

Unlike other objects, photographs exist across all of the museum collections. However, the history of collecting photography differs dramatically between collections. Whilst interdisciplinary in themselves, the museum collections also reflect the interdisciplinarity of the photographic medium. Photographs in the collections perform a variety of functions and exist for a variety of reasons. For example, the social and industrial history collections contain photographs

that are significant because of what they depict. They exist as records of a particular time, place or subject.

Conversely, the Art collections contain photographs that were predominantly collected due to the significance of the maker and their contribution to the history of art in Wales and internationally. They exist as works of art. Both types of photograph are highly valued but for very different reasons, and it is this that makes the photographic collections at Amgueddfa Cymru unique. The students were introduced to the different aspects of the museum during a oneday visit to National Museum Cardiff. Through talks and tours from curators, educators, conservators and health and safety officers, they gained an insight into how the Museum operates, from the care, display and interpretation of the collections, to the health and safety of visitors and staff. Following this, the students had to conceive and develop their projects.

The work presented in this impressive publication is diverse and responds to Amgueddfa Cymru in numerous ways. The work not only demonstrates the creative and artistic capabilities of the photographic medium, it also reveals how photography can be used in different ways to explore and interrogate a single subject. Perhaps most importantly, the work considers what the Museum represents today, which provides us with a unique insight into how it is valued by the people it serves.

Bronwen Colquhoun Senior Curator of Photography

THIS IS NOT A DUMPING AREA JO BARTON

Within museums, visitors are drawn only to what is clearly presented to them, allowing them to ignore and forget other implements that may have been preferably hidden.There is so much within these huge spaces which are kept from public view.This series aims to reveal the perplexing nature of behind-the-scenes areas within supposed ‘accessible’ buildings. The relationships between the cold tiled walls and presence of musk amongst the aseptic cleaning equipment become abundantly counterintuitive. This depiction of cluttered disorder suggests mockery towards the running theme of a space attempting to become inclusive but failing to do so in a disjointed manor.

6

7

DIRDRO BECCA HEAD

As a photographer interested in people as subjects, the artist is often drawn to the human figure. Her latest work explores the complexity and intricacy of the body as political site. It demands the observers’ engagement, whether in terms of their immediate response or the tension created within the image being transferred to the beholder. Each image the photographer produces not only fuels her own fascination with the human form itself, but also with society’s relationship to it politically, culturally and emotionally. The work is not designed to passively please, but to challenge intellectually, without the use of clichéd provocation.

Instagram: @beccaheadphotography 8

Fel ffotograffydd sydd â diddordeb mewn pobl fel pwnc, mae’r artist yn aml yn cael ei dynnu i’r ffigur dynol. Mae ei waith diweddaraf yn archwilio cymhlethdod y corff fel safle gwleidyddol. Mae’n gofyn am sylw yr arsylwyr, boed hynny o ran eu hymateb sydyn neu’r tensiwn a grëwyd o fewn y ddelwedd sydd yn cael ei drosglwyddo i’r arsyllwr.

Mae’r ffotograffau nid yn unig yn tanio cyfaredd yr artist gyda’r ffurflen ddynol, ond maent hefyd yn cyfeirio perthynas y gymdeithas gyda’r corff, yn wleidyddol, yn gymdeithasol ac emosiynol. Nid yw’r gwaith wedi ei ddylunio i blesio’n oddefol, ond i herio yn ddeallusol, heb ddefnyddio cythrudd ystrydeb.

THE OBSERVER JESS TENNANT

The Observer explores visitors interacting with artwork at the National Museum of Wales, Cardiff.

This is developed through a fascination with how people can relate to artwork within the gallery coincidentally, on a visual level. This concept of relatability is extended through a mirror effect of the audience looking at a photograph of a subject observing art. All of the people within the photographs were strangers which tested the virtue of patience, as waiting for the right moment to photograph was pivotal to seizing a real connection between the artwork and the visitors.

Instagram: @jesstennant_photography 12

Mae’r prosiect yma yn archwilio ymwelwyr sy’n rhyngweithio â gwaith celf yn Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Cymru, Caerdydd. Mae hyn wedi’i ddatblygu trwy cyfaredd ynglyn ˆ â sut y gall pobl perthnasu â gwaith celf yn yr oriel yn gyd-ddigwyddol, ar lefel weledol. Mae’r cysyniad o atebolrwydd yn cael ei ymestyn trwy effaith drych o’r gynulleidfa sy’n edrych ar lun o berson sy’n arsylwi celf. Roedd angen rhinwedd o amynedd ar gyfer y prosiect, gan fod yr holl bobl o fewn y ffotograffau yn ddieithriaid i’r ffotograffwr. Oherwydd hyn, roedd e’n hanfodol i aros am yr eiliad cywir i ffotograffio er mwyn cipio cysylltiad go iawn rhwng y gwaith celf a’r ymwelwyr.

14

15

THE POWER OF PAPER ELEANOR DAVIS

In this age, paper (and traditional) media is being challenged more and more since the rise of TV and smartphones that have us attached to our digital devices. This project highlights the issue and satirises technology adverts that glorify the newest digital device.

Through photographing handmade Papier-Mâché models of digital devices (smartphones and PC) it presents the contrast between the platforms. It further emphasises the ‘handmade’ element through the chosen craft due to its messy nature, creating a comedic juxtaposition towards the pretentious, sophisticated adverts of digital technology.

Instagram: @eleanordavisphoto

BLUE SCAR KATE BUTCHER

These images behold a visual representation of the ‘scars’ that have been left behind from the coal mining industry. Slag heaps and disused mining cages that have been abandoned are a powerful metaphorical representation of the ruin that the closure of the industry had on many communities.

Much like the new settlers in the Wild West, miners and their families made this landscape their own with echoes of cinematography commonly found in Wild West movies. A blue scar is a dark scar caused by coal dust entering a cut upon the skin which is almost impossible to remove. This is a mark worn with pride by many miners.

Instagram: @kateevephotography

GODS AND GODESSES

KATE DICKINSON

This series uses portraiture and contemporary photography to create a contextual and artistic background linking certain minerals to the personalities of Greek Gods and Goddesses. The stones provide a cohesive narrative following Greek Mythology but in a new light. Whether minerals are seen within an educational context or otherwise, the natural stones are a capsule for transferring ideologies and creating new perspectives to their given audience.

Instagram: @kdpofficial

24

THE UNSEEN GUEST RUBY GRAHAM

The Unseen Guest is a study of how the dynamic of public buildings dramatically transforms when vacant. Photographed before opening hours at the National Museum Wales, this series illustrates how the atmosphere of the space conveys something enigmatic and paradoxical when not fulfilling its function. The juxtaposition between recognisable features of the building alongside behind-the-scenes areas, allows us to consider the theatricalism of museums, and the way in which they try to create tangible realism from static objects. Absence of humanity permits the building to speak as its own personality, referencing the emotive elements which are unseen as opposed to what is.

Instagram: @rubygrahamphotography 26

BLOSSOM NEURIN TRACE

This project embodies a visual investigation into the lack of young people in the National Museum of Wales’ demographic. In seeking out particular spaces in the museum, they are transformed into aesthetic atmospheres through the medium of fashion editorial photography. Furthermore, studying the models’ personalities enabled them to be visibly unique, whether this be a subtle smile or quirky accessories. There is hope for a younger audience to relate via modern fashion, vibrant colours and unique settings – to invite them into a space where they can explore, identify and celebrate the rich history of Wales.

Instagram: @nyeonthewall

30

CATHEDRALS OF KNOWLEDGE ANNA GOLDBERG

Everything around us has a particular aura. Our brains give us an ability not only to perceive those auras, but to create and manipulate our own. Imagine the world if everyone was aware of this power and used it for good. Books are one great example of how humans use matter to pass on feeling, knowledge and vision. An old book has an aura that exudes time itself, even if one doesn’t necessarily read it. There is something magical about libraries, the Cathedrals of Knowledge. It is the way the world works. Isn’t this the true beauty?

Instagram: @agoldberg.photo

32

MAN VS THE EARTH DANIEL THOMAS

Man’s effect on the landscape has advanced greatly over time. Through our evolution we have impacted the physicality of the earth further than we could have possibly imagined. While this advancement reflects our overwhelming growth and ability as a species, it also echoes our need to control and distort. Using Welsh coal mines as an example, this series aims to question the validity of our industrial endeavours, by relating archival photography to imagery of the typical Welsh landscape. By layering the images, the elements appear naturally in union, signifying the age-old relationship between man and nature.

Instagram: @dan.m.thomas

Mae effaith dyn ar y tirwedd wedi datblygu’n fawr dros amser. Drwy ein hesblygiad, rydym wedi effeithio ar ffisegolrwydd y ddaear ymhellach nag y gallem fod wedi’i ddychmygu. Er bod y datblygiad hwn yn adlewyrchu ein twf a gallu llethol fel rhywogaeth, mae hefyd yn adleisio ein hangen i reoli ac aflunio. Gan ddefnyddio mwyngloddiau Cymraeg fel enghraifft, mae’r gyfres hon yn anelu i gwestiynu dilysrwydd ein hymdrechion diwydiannol, trwy gysylltu ffotograffiaeth archifol i ddelweddau o’r tirwedd Gymreig nodweddiadol.

Wrth roi’r ffotograffau gyda’i gilydd, mae’r elfennau’n ymddangos mewn undeb yn naturiol, gan nodi’r berthynas oedran rhwng dyn a natur.

35

MYTHICAL MONSTERS TOMAS VAUGHAN

Why do children like dinosaurs? The semi-mythical creatures, in our minds, are remembered as terrifying reptilian creatures; much like dragons, except they were real.To us (adults), they are fact, but children see them differently. Their imaginations are vivid enough to accept them and admire them as a legitimate educational interest. They are seen as no danger to a child, but a dream monster. Playing with toy dinosaurs is a way of exploring the mystery of them, all whilst learning and developing creativity in their young minds. This project focuses on dinosaurs as an area of inspiration from a child’s perspective; they’re creatures made of half knowledge, half imagination.

36

Imagination is what gives life.

Pam mae plant yn hoffi dinosoriaid? Maen nhw’n greaduriaid lled-chwedlonol, yn ein meddyliau, sydd yn cael eu cofio fel bwystfilod ymlusgol brawychus; yn debyg iawn i ddreigiau, heblaw eu bod wedi bodoli. I ni (oedolion), mae nhw’n ffaith, ond mae plant yn eu gweld nhw’n wahanol. Mae dychymyg plant yn ddigon bywiog i’w derbyn a’u haddysgu fel diddordeb addysgiadol cyfreithlon. Ni welir dinosoriaid fel perygl i blentyn, ond yn hytrach, dyma’r anghenfil breuddwyd perffaith. Mae chwarae gyda theganau dinosoriaid yn ffordd o archwilio eu dirgelwch wrth ddysgu a datblygu creadigrwydd yn eu meddyliau ifanc. Mae’r prosiect hwn yn canolbwyntio ar ddinosoriaid fel ardal o ysbrydoliaeth o bersbectif plentyn; maen nhw’n greaduriaid wedi eu creu o hanner gwybodaeth, a hanner dychymyg.

Instagram: @tjv.photography

Dychymyg yw’r hyn sy’n rhoi bywyd.

37

38

THIRD EYE ADRIANNA URYSZEK

Crystals are known for their restorative properties - each crystal is unique. This is mirrored through chakras, entities of energy, that pair with different parts of the body. Not many people are aware of the chakras in our bodies and the beauty that is within them.Thus, this project began by studying the crystals on display at the National Museum of Wales and researching how they are used to heal broken souls.

Although they have specific strengths, they work together in harmony to reflect a state of inner peace and a strong spirit.

39

ART, SCIENCE, HISTORY AND THE POSSIBLE The varied languages of Art, Science and History each connect themselves to a familiar place: The Museum. These intercepting mediums manage to merge together as one underneath the same roof of a building that exists for the preservation of time and the pure experience and education of the people who choose to enter.

These antithetical fields of study rarely cross paths in the outside world, however, under the domain of a museum they run alongside each other in a space built with their crossovers in mind. Without limitation, a museum offers each of these languages the opportunity to overlap into areas of shared semiotic thought.

Museums are also accessible and present these overlapping fields of study in a way that can be understood by many. All ages are afforded the possibility to experience academic worlds that normally only masters of each field are able to teach separately. Science can finally become Art; History influences Science while Art accompanies History.

The museum acts as a space for free thinking, interpretation and enlightenment and this backdrop has allowed us, in our capacity as a collective of influential photographers, to open our minds to numerous possible stimuli and explore the unique motivations that lead us to produce our photographic outcomes.

These conclusions connect with not only the diversity

40

of artefacts around The National Museum Wales, but each interpretation expresses the individuals’ personal photographic response towards the museum and its many social influences.

Every human registers their surroundings personally - they can be in the same space at the same time, yet each see alternative possibilities; different visual experiences create different spaces which can drastically alter individual perceptions. Our individual investigations of the The National Museum Wales has allowed us to leave with intuitive and thoughtprovoking analyses of what was observed, whether it be to wonder at the building’s architecture, a curiosity about the artefacts or an appreciation of the artworks on display.

This publication, alongside the group exhibition, represents us as young professionals seeking alternatives to the identifiable consciousness of space.

Our physical presence within the museum, transfers into experience, then into a digital space, before being transformed back into the physical form of printed photographic artifacts. These responses create a new space that surrounds whoever is viewing the publication/exhibition. This experimental and creative lineage seems a fitting impression and is in many ways synonymous with the Museum’s intent.

Jo Barton 2nd Year Photography, Student USW

FROM THE OUTSIDE As someone who is such a Hermione at heart, I love to soak up as much knowledge and experience as possible. The National Museum Wales was a perfect opportunity to learn in one place so much about Wales and its history. Every time I walked over, I would always discover something new. Coming from Toronto, Canada, I have seen my fair share of museums and galleries, but it is not often that the two are combined in such an intelligent manner. It is such an enriching experience to see both art and natural history in one place.

When you walk up to the building, the first thing you notice, if you look up, is a dragon’s claw. To me, and probably to anyone under the age of 12, that is super cool. My interest is hooked right away, and I want to walk in.The first time I visited, I saw badgers, dinosaurs, and mammoths in the natural history area and prints from Martin Parr and Henri Cartier-Bresson at the photography exhibit: Swaps: Photographs from the David Hurn Collection. I also visited the room with the china displays and a small portion of the paintings section. Already, there was so much to take in, and I loved it all. Even the building alone is gorgeous. The rounded white ceilings, the baby blue wallpaper, and open windows all make for a lovely atmosphere. I ended up going back several times to check out the Impressionist painters’ section as well as the Who Decides? exhibit. One time, my friend and I spent so long with the Impressionist and modern artwork that we almost got stuck in the gallery because it was closing time. The best part of the museum is that it is all free, as cultural education should be, and this allowed me to visit whenever I wanted. It was a great stress-reliever.

Alie Rutty Exchange student from Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada, 2017 41

PERIPHERAL LEWIS BRYMNER

Peripheral is an exploration of the often-overlooked elements within galleries that surround the artworks themselves. In abstracting these details from the context of their space, it allows us to appreciate how the aesthetics of these peripheries mirror the beauty of romanticist art. When entering galleries, we are transported to a place where time slows down, and thought is put into every detail of the exhibits. This experience is a rare one within a society, where constant distraction is offered at our fingertips. In utilising analogue film, the photographer parallels this unique atmosphere, by choosing a format which involves a longer and more personal process.

Instagram: @lewisbrymner

BANDED TOGETHER LAUREN HORNSBY

The coal industry used to be the backbone of industrial Britain, many people, especially the younger generations do not reflect upon this key part of history.

Since many of the miners, pits and the heavy machinery have moved on, the stories they tell are often at risk of being overlooked. Banded Together shines a light on the mining industry in order to remain within the public consciousness.

Interwoven with deep connections, these images became a reunion of personal connection and local history.

Instagram: @lhornsbyphotography

46

47

IN THE LIBRARY NIA THOMAS

A museum library; a hidden sector usually unavailable for public viewing. A space filled with knowledge, but yet its secrecy is kept locked away unless looked for. This project brings attentiveness towards that of the deeper understanding of books, not only their contents but the rich history and contributions to modern education. Books are seen as a great way to help the reader escape an unsatisfying reality, this project hints at the undertonal emotions often found within the depths of our minds.

Instagram: @niathomasxo

Llyfrgell amgueddfa; sector sydd fel arfer ar gau i’r cyhoedd. Mae’n lle wedi’i llenwi â gwybodaeth, ond mae ei gyfrinachedd yn cael ei gadw dan glo oni bai ei fod yn cael ei edrych amdano. Mae’r prosiect hwn yn dod â sylw tuag at dealltwriaeth dyfnach llyfrau, nid yn unig eu cynnwys ond yr hanes cyfoethog a’r cyfraniadau tuag at addysg fodern. Mae llyfrau’n cael eu hystyried fel ffordd wych o helpu’r darllenydd i ddianc o realiti anfoddhaol, mae’r prosiect hwn yn awgrymu ar yr emosiynau a welir yn aml o fewn dyfnder ein meddyliau.

STRONGER ALINA HIBBERT

The images in this series aim to encourage us to find the silver linings within every hardship. In taking inspiration from her own personal struggle with depression, the photographer began the cathartic process of finding positivity within her own negativity. With the flowers symbolising strength and growth, the melancholy and thoughtful expressions juxtapose to evoke a bittersweet entirety, highlighting the inseparability of good and bad. These portraits work to remind us of the ebb and flow of life, and the importance of personal expression as a coping mechanism for mental illness.

Instagram: @hibbert98

THE MUSEUM OF BIG BROTHER ^

LLYR TONGE

Rather than looking at what the Museum presents to the public, this project focuses on the background elements that are essential to the museum’s everyday functionality. The Museum of Big Brother aims to highlight the security team, who work hard to make sure the museum is safe for everyone.

They do their work discreetly - blending into their environment.The theme of surveillance is embedded in the creative process through photographing in an inconspicuous manner (to capture true moments in the guards’ daily routine). Furthermore, the images are placed on a blueprint map regarding on their exact location. This transformation of the surveyors into the surveyed perpetuates the debate about photography’s use (and exploitation) for observation in the modern age.

Instagram: @llyrtonge_photography

Instagram: @hibbert98

54

55

ALIEN GARMON EVANS

Illusion; it’s a topic that demands the brain to think in different ways. It lets the imagination run free, whilst creating visual abstractions to the everyday. Using inspiration from Joan Fontcuberta’s ‘Landscape without Memory’, this project was able to explore depth of field and the integration of rock formations to make them unrecognisable at first glance. Atmospheric detailed focal points within the rock and the indistinguishable object and land, turn the outcomes from natural substance into alien landscapes.

56

Lledrith; Mae’n bwnc sy’n annog yr ymennydd i feddwl mewn gwahanol ffyrdd. Mae’n gadael i’r dychymyg redeg yn rhydd, wrth greu haniaethau gweledol i’r beunyddiol.

Gan ddefnyddio ysbrydoliaeth wrth ‘Landscape without Memory’ gan Joan Fontcuberta, roedd y prosiect hwn yn gallu archwilio dyfnder ffocws a’r cyfaniad yn ffurfiau creigiau i’w gwneud yn anghanfyddadwy ar yr olwg gyntaf. Mae’r pwyntiau ffocal manwl ac atmosfferig o fewn y graig, yn ogystal â’r anwahaniaethrwydd rhwng gwrthrych a tir, yn troi’r canlyniadau o sylwedd naturiol i ddirweddau estron.

THE PROCESS WILLIAM MORGAN

The Process is a documentative investigation into how galleries as a space are curated for specifically constructed experiences. In recording the key processes that the public are denied access to, it highlights the complicated relationship between publicity and privacy, of which galleries lie in between. Excluding the included exhibition in its entirety, it allows for more intellectual consideration of the featured artworks. The sequencing of images demonstrates the time and effort taken to build installations, capturing the processes which are so often taken for granted.

Instagram: @william.morgan.photo

WATER AND WOOL JESSICA CLEEVES

Water and Wool explores the industrial heritage of Wales, specifically the Woollen Industry, which thrived in Carmarthenshire, until its decline after WW1. The rivers played a vital role in driving the mill’s machinery before the industrial revolution, hence, these images depict the industry’s reliance on the landscape.The knitted piece is modelled after the historic Afon Teifi which once supplied water to over 26 woollen mills on its banks. The production was always a fully immersive and personal experience; knitting using 100% Welsh wool and dyed with natural plant material shows the connection between nature and the wool industry.

Instagram: @jesscleevesphotog

62

Mae Dwr ˆ a Gwlân yn archwilio treftadaeth ddiwydiannol Cymru ynglyn ˆ â’r Diwydiant Gwlân a wnaeth ffynnu yn Sir Gaerfyrddin, hyd nes ei dirywiad ar ôl y Rhyfel Byd Cyntaf. Roedd yr afonydd yn chwarae rhan hanfodol wrth yrru peiriannau’r felin cyn y chwyldro diwydiannol, ac felly mae’r delweddau hyn yn dangos dibyniaeth y diwydiant ar y tirwedd. Caiff y darn gwau ei fodelu ar ôl yr Afon Teifi, a oedd unwaith yn cyflenwi dwr ˆ i dros 26 o felinau gwlân ar ei glannau. Roedd y cynhyrchiad bob amser yn brofiad personol a wnaeth ofyn am ddigon o ymglymiad; wrth ddefnyddio 100% o wlân Cymreig a lliwio â deunydd planhigion naturiol, mae’n dangos y cysylltiad rhwng natur a diwydiant y gwlân.

CAPTURING HISTORY LUCY ABRAHAM

The constructed scenes in this series aim to resemble the warehouse of the National Waterfront Museum. With the purpose to draw attention to the covert history of the warehouse, the construction of the models reflects the process undertaken by museums to redefine and select history. In recreating the everyday experiences of the warehouse worker, it provides this area of forgotten history with the dignity it deserves.

Instagram: @lucyabrahamphotography

GWRAIG Y FFERMWR

ROWAN KATY QUINTON

This work responds to the lack of historical photographs of Welsh women in farming. When looking for images of these women, many showed them in their national dress rather than their everyday (but practical) farming attire. Thus, creating a storyline that portrayed costumes and settings to be as historically accurate as possible was of utmost importance.The intent is to make the viewer question the history they see in photographs and how that relates to real life.

Instagram: @rowankatyofficial 66

Mae’r gwaith yma yn ymateb i ddiffyg ffotograffau hanesyddol o fenywod Cymreig o fewn amaeth. Wrth edrych am ddelweddau o’r merched hyn, roedd llawer ohonynt yn eu dangos yn eu gwisg genedlaethol yn hytrach na’u gwisg ffermio bob dydd. Felly, roedd creu stori a oedd yn portreadu’r gwisgoedd a lleoliadau mor gywir â phosib yn bwysig iawn.Y bwriad yw fod y gwyliwr yn dechrau cwestiynu’r hanes y maent yn gweld mewn ffotograffau a sut mae’r portreadau hynny’n cymharu gyda bywyd go iawn.

ARTIFICIAL AERIN HOPE

Artificial is an exploration of using history, films and constructed sets to create an unwinding narrative.

Inspired by the National Museum of Wales’ interactive sets, it presents the concept of fact and fiction within the museum.

The vast array of exhibitions on display help develop different narratives, whilst altering the stories that the museum currently presents to the public. A film’s production value typically depends on its use of props, characters and lighting. The museum is the set, the props are the characters and the lighting is the finishing touch.

Instagram: @aerinhope_photography_ 69

71

ANGULAR DIMENSIONS SAM STURT

The intention of this work is to consider the emotive power of architecture, using the National Museum of Wales as a case study. In capturing the grandness of the space with a lack of overall context, it allows us to consider the building as a work of art, as opposed to the artworks within, whilst also highlighting the spaces’ power to create an effect of awe from its visitors.

ODE TO THE MUSEUM Stone stairs into tall halls, the Keeper of culture is open to all.

Mirrored floors and glass doors, the Protector of tradition implores you to explore the world outside, indoors.

Centre of the city, quenching the thirsty in a society of superficiality.

Those who crave the authentic, look to the future, embrace the fabric of the public.

The Cavern of intrigue is not fading, rather an agent of change and development.

A solace to the curious, an answer to the ardent.

New introduced to the old.

A rose glow illuminates the stones, the Curator of (human) nature reaches out to the fallen.

Through education and demonstration the cultural soul of the nation invites you to join in the communion.

Eleanor Davis 2nd Year Photography Student, USW 75

DEATH AND DECAY HANNAH WILLIAMS

The death of the coal industry sent the South Wales Valleys into a state of decay, creating a wound that remains open to the present day. The images of Death and Decay act as visual reminders of the deindustrialisation of the coal industry within Wales. The culmination of crumbling remains and modernist settings, reveal how as a society we often choose to ignore painful reminders of the past. In choosing locations of personal family significance, the photographer highlights the individual damages caused by the downfall of the industry. These stories so often fall into statistics, meaning that human experiences become merely numbers.

THE BEAUTY OF NATURAL FORM DEACON THOMAS

The National Museum of Wales showcases wonderful specimens of minerals, detailing the process of their formation. They are formed through the cooling of lava (at high temperatures and pressures found in the Earth’s core) which is emphasised by the reflective, watery surface within the images. People tend to overlook the fact that minerals are an important part of society, used to power technology, to adorn jewellery, to fertilise our food. With this in mind, these intricate crystals are put on display for people to admire their authentic beauty and to highlight how important they are to modern culture.

Instagram: @deacosphotos 80

81

LAYERS OF LAND DENISE RECCHIA Stratigraphy: The branch of geology concerned with the order and relative position of strata and their relationship to the geological timescale, forms the basis of this project. Using locations previously studied, this work intimately explores the relationships of their geological significance and connections with art, firstly painting. The pigments derived from the rocks alter photographic representation to physical by creating layers of image and earth materials. The project has developed into an expression of a disregard for traditional landscape photography tropes, (although ironically in a minimalist, purely photographic style) whilst avoiding being a documentation of the environment.

Instagram: @denr_photo 82

83

SUBCONSCIOUS LUKA AMBOKADZE

The images in this series depict a man’s illusionary journey into the manifestation of his inner being. Taking inspiration from existential theories of the individual, the subject continues his descent into lunacy in a world where everything seems senseless and absurd. This journey reflects a state we all find within ourselves from time-to-time, where questions of the meaning of life cloud our judgement of humanity. ‘What is the truth to our existence? Is there life after death?’ The intent of such questions is to encourage self-exploration, in the hope of obtaining the best versions of our ourselves.

Instagram: @harmoniousfl0wer

86

87

PERSONAL COLLECTIONS MORGAN WOODWARD

Collecting personal artefacts is instilled in us as children. Surrounding ourselves with items of unique, personal value makes us feel at peace. We focus on an object’s status, but value can be subjective. The value is determined by the importance we place on the object instead of its inherent property. The collections featured here are from personal archives with specific historical value to them. These images portray even the most modest of objects in all their glory, highlighting that value has no set rules.

Instagram: @morganna_photography

90

91

DESIGNED BY: CREATIVE DIRECTOR / CO-ORDINATOR: Becca Head DESIGN BY: Lewis Brymner DESIGN ASSISTANTS: Becca Head William Morgan CONSULTANT EDITORS: Peter Bobby Matt White TEXT EDITORIAL TEAM: Eleanor Davis Ruby Graham Jo Barton MARKETING TEAM: William Morgan Becca Head Lewis Brymner Aerin Hope Thomas Morgan Woodward TRANSLATOR: Becca Head GUEST WRITERS: Bronwen Colquhoun Alie Rutty

THANK YOU | DIOLCH Matt White, Peter Bobby, Magali Nougarède, Eileen Little, Celia Jackson, Ian Wiblin, Mark Durden, Sam Wilcox, Gawain Barnard, Ian Llewelyn, Bronwen Colquhoun, Steph Burge, Kristine Chapman, Alie Rutty, Ian Mountjoy, Taylor Brothers All the staff members at The National Museum Of Wales Cardiff, St. Fagans National History Museum, National Waterfront Museum, Big Pit, National Coal Museum, National Slate Museum, National Roman Legion Museum And The National Wool Museum.

To everybody who donated towards the making of this publication, we couldn’t have done it wthout you.

92

SON