Students Reveal Black Country Through a Lens
Day two of our tour... we're in Bentley Bridge today!
After winning a college competition, a group of talented Creative Arts students at Walsall College can now see their work featured in the ‘Power and Beauty’ exhibition at the New Art Gallery Walsall.
On display until 11th August 2012, ‘Power and Beauty’ has been inspired by the work of world renowned Photographer, Mark Power, in his ‘Black Country Stories’ exhibition, which is set to be showcased at the gallery from 20th July – 15th September 2012.
Mark visited Walsall College in January to launch the competition to Photography and Media students from Walsall College and Sandwell College, inviting them to submit their work for an opportunity to be part of the exhibition.
The brief was to create still images or short digital films that explore the social landscape of the Black Country and document everyday life in the region, with a central theme of unseen beauty. The competition attracted several hundred entries, of which Mark Power selected eight collections submitted by students from each College to feature in the display.
Photography Lecturer at Walsall College, Ian Male said: “The final pieces were chosen as they challenge expectations and raise questions about the Black Country and notions of unseen beauty, in all its contradictions and manifestations, where you might not expect to find it.
“We are very grateful to Mark for inviting our students to take part in this project. It’s a great honour for them to have their talent showcased in a public gallery and featured in a poignant exhibition that tells a story about local life.”
A member of international photographic agency, Magnum, Mark Power is a highly celebrated photographer having won a number of accolades during his illustrative career, including the ’2001 Year of the Artist’ Award, as voted for by the Arts Council of Great Britain.
‘Black Country Stories’ is a four-year project commissioned by Multistory, which invites artists to work in partnership with local community groups and individuals to document and record life in the Black Country, to tell a multi-layered story of the region.
