Around East London (24)
Climate Change, Birds and Humans
The seagull in this image is a metaphor for what is happening to the climate in the world today. Although they appear to be thriving research has shown seagulls to be in rapid decline. In the UK they are on the red list – the highest level – for British bird species of concern, because their population has dropped by 72% in 55 years!
When I made this work I imagined the bird flying over Pacific Islands where climate change is an existential threat to the people living there that could lead to the risk of displacement and migration. This ‘forced’ migration means the loss of ancestral homelands, unique and lasting ties to land, and vital cultural identities.
It’s estimated that 49 million people in East Asia and the Pacific will be forced to flee their homes due to climate change by 2050.
It’s our world economic system – capitalism – that has brought this about. It’s a system that knows the price of everything but the value of nothing – hence the bar code on the seagulls wing.
Around Liverpool (62)
If you want to arrange a visit to see Phil Maxwell’s studio and gallery then email: maxwellphotouk@yahoo.co.uk.
Headphone Portrait
If you want to arrange a visit to see Phil Maxwell’s studio and gallery then email: maxwellphotouk@yahoo.co.uk.
Around Liverpool (61)
If you want to arrange a visit to see Phil Maxwell’s studio and gallery then email: maxwellphotouk@yahoo.co.uk.
Around Liverpool (60)
If you want to arrange a visit to see Phil Maxwell’s studio and gallery then email: maxwellphotouk@yahoo.co.uk.
138th Durham Miners Gala
This year is also the 40th anniversary of the miners strike and the battle of Orgreave and today is the 138th Durham Miners Gala.
In June Labour pledged they would hold an enquiry into what happened. Labour’s election manifesto promised “to ensure, through an investigation or inquiry, that the truth about the events at Orgreave comes to light”. Given the fact that Starmer has a track record of breaking promises and looking after the interests of the establishment, pressure needs to be maintained to achieve justice for the miners. It’s the first week of a Labour government and the signs are not good for the working class. The government seems more concerned with building armaments, maintaining austerity and continuing the privatisation of the NHS.
The annual Durham Miners’ Gala is a unique and inspiring spectacle. It is Europe’s biggest celebration of community, international solidarity, and working class culture. More than 200,000 people pack the streets of Durham to enjoy the sights and sounds of The Big Meeting. Hosted by the Durham Miners’ Association since 1871, the Big Meeting is a vibrant carnival of hope and unity. It is a living expression of the Durham Miners’ motto – ‘the past we inherit, the future we build’. There is nothing like it anywhere else in the world.
Below are some photographs of previous celebrations and some historic photographs taken during the miners strike.
1984.
If you want to arrange a visit to see Phil Maxwell’s studio and gallery then email: maxwellphotouk@yahoo.co.uk.
