Chris Killip's poignant photographic series Askam-in-Furness supported by Martin Parr Foundation

Chris Killip's poignant photographic series Askam-in-Furness is being shown in its entirety for the first time. The exhibition documents the coastal village of Askam during the social and political upheaval of the early 1980s. It is supported by the Martin Parr Foundation and the Chris Killip Photography Trust.

Chris Killip (1946-2020) is one of the UK's most important post-war documentary photographers. Known for his documentation of working-class life in Northern England, Killip spent time in the West Coast Cumbrian village of 'Askam-in-Furness' in 1981 and 1982. His ability to immerse himself within a community and gain the trust of the people who lived there led him to create this series of intimate, life-affirming portraits alongside urban, rural and coastal features showing their interconnectedness. The body of work offers an important record of a community shaped by industry, landscape, and resilience.

The exhibition features twenty photographs from 1982, shown together for the first time close to the location where they were taken. Modern silver gelatin prints, hand-printed by Killip himself, have been loaned by the Chris Killip Photography Trust and the Martin Parr Foundation.

The exhibition also includes unseen digital scans from negatives and an archive installation from our new community research project, reconnecting with some of the subjects shown in the photographs.

Work by Chris Killip also features in 'ONE YEAR! Photographs from the miners' Strike 1984-85', a second exhibition showing alongside 'Chris Killip - Askam-in-Furness'. Curated by Isaac Blease and from the Martin Parr Foundation Collection, this exhibition marks the 40th anniversary of the year-long industrial action that defined a generation.

Category: Classes / Courses | Creative and Performing Arts | Film, Photography and Media

Artist / Speaker: Chris Killip