A new art exhibition depicting the demise of coal mining opens in Bishop Auckland tomorrow (Friday, May 3).
Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the miners strike, 'The Last Cage Down' exhibition at The Miners Gallery in Bishop Auckland will be available to view until October 6.
Sixteen artists from the North East, North Yorkshire and beyond with 23 pieces depicting the decline of coal mining in the area and environment will be on display at the gallery.
Exhibits include work from South Shields artist Robert Olley, particularly the oil canvas Orgreave after Guernica which depicts a violent confrontation on June 18, 1984.
Robert was a coal miner himself - and for 12 years worked at Whitburn Colliery. Following some work with magazine illustration and a postal course, he eventually became an artist.
For him, having his work on display is "flattering".
He added: "There are plenty of guys who do the work that I do - and that's why I feel very lucky.
"I also go to the Durham Miners Gala every year - and it's fantastic. It lets me keep in touch with old friends. Art like this maintains our mining history for the next generation."
"The ultimate demise of mining across the North East was really quite frought", added gallery co-founder Dr Robert McManners.
"This exhibition shows the emotive aspect of the art which is always something we try and get across. It is a strange phenomenon - why do miners paint the pits, when you've been in a hole all day long?
"But, there is some sort of internal catharsis from the miners who paint these scenes. They paint them for themselves - and there is obviously a deeper meaning to it."
Fellow founder Gillian Wales added: "Whenever we think of the history of the North East, we think of mining.
"We really just feel a tremendous sense of pride. When you look at these pieces, you remember the majority were miners - and we get to showcase their work.
"For the people here, it is a mixture of heritage but also a legacy - a legacy we are leaving for the next generation. There is nothing else like this in the area."
Over the years, the duo have collected thousands of pieces of mining artwork by countless artists and have been displaying the work at the gallery in Bishop Auckland's town centre for the past seven years.
For assistant curator Anne Sutherland, who helped put the exhibition together, it's been an exciting time.
She said: "The mining industry was so important for the people around here. They either worked in it or had parents and grandparents who did.
"It felt like the right time to mark that legacy with this exhibition to mark the end of the industry and the affect it had on the North East."
Tickets to visit the exhibition can be purchased here.
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