'Black Diamonds'
The pit closures, which began during Margaret Thatcher’s leadership, were the final death knell for the 2000-year-old British mining industry. Black Diamonds is a sombre, bleakly eloquent work, which expresses anger at this wanton destruction, and solidarity with those who fought to save their jobs and communities.
A series of life size black satin crows hover over piles of coal on blackened plinths, while a reliquary reveals a red satin interior filled with coal – Black Diamonds. A banner lists the names of more than two hundred pits closed as a result of this action, an evocation of those traditionally carried by trade unionists.
A series of life size black satin crows hover over piles of coal on blackened plinths, while a reliquary reveals a red satin interior filled with coal – Black Diamonds. A banner lists the names of more than two hundred pits closed as a result of this action, an evocation of those traditionally carried by trade unionists.
