THE ART OF MINING

Series

Series Name
Mining Review 13th Year

Issue

Issue No.
4
Date Released
Dec 1959
Stories in this Issue:
  1. 1THE ART OF MINING
  2. 2MOUNTED MINORS
  3. 3Too Good to Burn or SPEAKING THROUGH COAL
  4. 4RECORD PIT

Story

Story No. within this Issue
1 / 4
Summary
BFI synopsis: a miners’ art group in Ashington, Northumberland, meet and discuss their latest works
NCB Commentary - These are the eyes of Oliver Kilbourn a salvage drawer at Ellington pit in Northumberland. He’s worked there since he was 13. In his spare time he paints.
Oliver Kilbourn is a member of a group started in 1934 to foster artistic appreciation. It wasn’t long before the members decided to do some painting themselves - to learn a personal approach to other people’s work.
They all live in or near the minin town of Ashington and, very soon, they were reproducing the sights and scenes around them - from their everyday life and their everyday work.
Jimmy Wilson models in clay, he models - a miner.
Fred Laidler, on the left there, is a joiner at Ashington.
Jim Floyd (left) has been 47 years in pits. He’s working alongside Len Robinson and he’s putting the finishing touches to his ‘Easter Wedding’.
Water colourist Arthur Whinnon is an Area Wages Accountant. Edward Laidlaw favours the hard contrasts of the scraper board.
The group believes that the amateur shouldn’t try to copy the professional. While expert techniques may be beyond their range, they can still express what they see and feel as directly and simply as possible.
That’s why they have painted the life around them for over 20 years - and here are some of their pictures.
Researcher Comments
Commentary recorded 9th November 1959.
Keywords
Arts and crafts; Mining
Locations
England; Northumberland
Written sources
British Film Institute Databases   Used for synopsis
Film User   Vol.14 No.167 September 1960, p520.
The National Archives COAL 32   /12 Scripts for Mining Review, 1956-1960
Credits:
Production Co.
Documentary Technicians Alliance
Sponsor
National Coal Board

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