Black and white negatives of potato pickers, Warwickshire

P SHA A PH1/15

10 Oct 1984

Colin Shaw grew up in a small Warwickshire village, working on farms during the school holidays. His interest in photography started in 1977. He gained a degree in Communications Studies at Coventry Polytechnic University in 1982. In 1984 he received an MA in Graphic Design at Birmingham Polytechnic University which looked at the way in which photographs are used to communicate and included a project documenting the Birmingham Jewellery Quarter which became an Ikon touring exhibition. Colin has lectured part-time in Photography and Cultural Studies and spent 22 years working for the Open University as a tutor for courses such as sociology and new technologies. In 1984 Colin embarked on the 'Farmwork' project. The project's aim was to document the everyday life and work of people who are employed on farms and in doing so challenge some of the romantic myths surrounding farm life. The photographs culminated in three touring exhibitions of prints for galleries and smaller informal venues such as village halls. The prints were exhibited at 80 different venues across the country over 3-4 years. In 1988 'Farmwork: men and women on the land' by Colin Shaw was published by Chatto & Windus which contained a series of prints from the project. Other photographic work includes the M40 Warwickshire project culminating in an Ikon gallery exhibition in 1988 and documenting the building of the Cable & Wireless College in Coventry in 1990-1991.

Driver of the potato lifter as it harvests potatoes; portrait of a potato picker. Also two photographs of NatWest Agricultural Services billboard, Banbury.

5 negatives

file

Warwickshire, Banbury, Potato, potato lifters, HARVESTING, Farm workers, advertisements

Restrictions apply - see accessions file - DX1997