OPEN ECO: John Walmsley, Port Talbot steelworks and local housing, 1971
The Port Talbot steelworks and close-by houses in 1971, belching out obnoxious gases which contributed to the climate change we're now living with. This is the site where the owners, Tata Steel, are closing the blast furnaces to replace them with greener electric ones.
John Walmsley is a life-long professional, freelance, documentary photographer supplying images to publishers worldwide. In the 70s, he lived in an art centre with lots of other artists and, at the same time, was a part-time lecturer at the AA School of Architecture in London. He's the author or joint author of 14 books. In one form or another, his work is at the National Portrait Gallery, Tate Library, Liverpool Library and le Bibliothèque nationale, Paris. In the last two years, he's been in group exhibitions in Sydney, Rome, Switzerland, Sao Paolo, Vienna, France, NYC, LA, Bangkok, Texas, London, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Photo Fringe invited artists to propose a single image to engage audiences and help us imagine a greener, fairer world. Artists were asked to respond to the question “How can photography make a difference to the climate crisis?"
The resulting outdoor exhibition of selected images by nineteen artists can be found on Brighton seafront next to the Upside Down House until 17 November 2024.
See all of the images together here
Created with funding from Arts Council England National Lottery Project Fund and the UK government and Brighton & Hove City Council through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. With print sponsorship from SAS Graphics.
Thanks to our judges Siân Berry, MP and Laura Summerton, Photography Manager, Wateraid.