Ian Beesley

"Pictures of coal mining must inevitably fail in the attempt to portray the reality of work undergoing- the impenetrable darkness, the noise of the machinery, the soaking wet conditions, the heat and the dust." - Ian Beesley

The above quote really hits home with this piece of my work, it is so relevant to the video that I am producing. Although his darkness and conditions are obviously a lot different to that of mine, I still think that the atmosphere in the forge is far from clean and I really want to put this across in my video.

Below is a critique of his work that I wrote for another assignment for university, I thought it would be relevant to include this in my blog because he is a very influential figure for me.

Ian Beesley, a Yorkshire born social documentary photographer who photographs communities in and around Bradford and the working class people within these communities. After working as a laborer for a number of years, whilst working at a sewage plant he decided to photograph his workplace as well as the people he worked with. With encouragement from his fellow work mates he decided to pursue a career in photography and after a foundation course at Bradford Art College, he studied at Bournemouth & Poole College of Art until 1977 when he graduated with a double distinction in documentary photography.

Beeley has dedicated his career to the study of the decline of the industrial society and its impact on the many communities that it has affected. His photographs ooze passion and almost have a poetic like feel about them, giving the viewer an interesting look at what they might not have been able to see previously.

The Drift is a set of images by Ian Beesley that epitomizes and gives a unique insight into the grimy life of one mining community. The photographs show the shift of culture and help to document to viewers a way of life that will soon be extinct in the UK. He has gone where most photographers would not and has worked in the same conditions as the many men who risk their lives to feed their families. Instead of photographing life under the surface with a bright flash, which he feels doesn’t represent real life; he has captured the dirty and claustrophobic atmosphere in the mines. The dirt on the hard faced men is captured in a natural way that gives the photographs depth and creates an ominous feel to the image. All of his photographs have similar aesthetics, the dark tones and considered lighting enhance the overall look and feel of the image.

Beesley’s work would fit well into the purely documentary theme of the Fotopub festival due to the issues that he chooses to raise within his work.

The festivals documentary theme is broad however the photographers who exhibit their work in the show all have a social and political backbone; Beesleys work would coincide well with previous photographers who have exhibited their work at the festival.

In terms of links to my own work, he chooses to highlight the political and social issues surrounding his birthplace in Yorkshire. The connection that one has with their birthplace is strong and Beesley chooses to show this through his photographs, the passion and enthusiasm can be seen in each of his portraits. My own photography work is similar to Beesleys in many ways, although most of my work is based around Manchester and the Northwest. I am also interested in the decline of the industrial society and find photography a good way of showing the deterioration and changes that have occurred through the contrasting eras.

Below are some examples of his work, including some of my favourite of his images.