We Still Stand

5 thoughts on “We Still Stand”

• I’m interested in the mirroring of the power plays now and then; also whether the sex of the photographer made any difference. If the men hadn’t seen each other for a long time did old rivalries and groupings occur and how did this affect the work.
  Thinking about the previous blog post on “Thinking about Photography”, I’m also aware how my understanding of the work might have been influenced by the description above and also written ones (as in Photomonitor (http://www.photomonitor.co.uk/2011/12/lovell/) and, of course my own memories of that time.

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• What a lovely insight into your inspirations Moira.

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• Powerful work Moira. Very poignant for me too, as the son of a South Yorkshire miner. Seeing Markham Main mentioned triggered many memories.

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• These were/are very striking pictures and the discussions at FORMAT touched on just how much personal baggage we bring to viewing a piece of art.
  In listening to Moira’s thoughts I was struck by the sometimes contradictory layers she described in the images. Are they about power relationships between the photographer and the sitter? Are they about old relationships and resentments between individual sitters? Are they about communities which still exist, or no longer exist? She herself says very few of them still drink together.
  IIRC they were displayed in quite a narrow corridor at FORMAT – hearing her talk about symbolism I can’t help wondering if that was done deliberately.
  I think the very openness of these pictures – in terms of almost any question you care to ask of them – is perhaps their greatest feature.

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• Living in the heart of the south Yorkshore coal fields I can sympathise how hard it would have been and how easy it would have been to get these men together depending on who is invited and who is not. I think the message that I get from these pictures how the men (not miners) are emerging from the dark. A metaphor of their working conditions or an attempt to show the miners as men, fathers and grandfathers in a different light.

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