I am a landscape and portrait painter from Nantlle in North Wales and I am putting together a touring exhibition by 2008 on the slate quarries theme. I have 15 paintings in mind for the exhibition, where I will show in them what kind of life the quarrymen had.
I wish to concentrate on the turn of the century (1889 – 1918) at the beginning of the decline in the industry. The Penrhyn Strike (1900 – 1903) and the years leading up to the Great War.
Most of us, living in the Welsh speakingcommunities of Gwynedd are descendants of the quarrymen, or are related to the industry in some way or another. It is possible to argue, that the quarrymen’s struggle, especially during the Penrhyn Strike at Bethesda, is the reason that the Welsh language is so strong in the slate regions of Gwynedd.
The craft for quarrying for slate was purely Welsh at one time, with many Welshmen taking their skills to America. It is possible to say that the ability to endure and keep going through difficult times through history is in our blood.
My great grandfather lived in Nebo and had to get up at four o clock in the morning, walking three miles to the “Dorothea Quarry”. Then had to descend 16 ladders strapped to the rock face, to be at the bottom of the quarry hole (675 feet deep) by seven o’clock to begin work. And then he would have to climb back up to walk home. Another great grandfather of mine was the Captain of three scooners, exporting slate to the World, I can therefore argue that slate, for sure, is in my blood.
Why Paintings rather than old photographs?
The old photographs of the quarries were always staged mainly due to the long exposure times of the camera.
Therefore they do not show the working conditions as they truly were, with the slate dust everywhere, injuries, weather and most importantly they do not show the viewpoint of the quarrymen and his feelings towards the cold hearted oppressive nature of the quarry owners.
The craft of creating a painting is different to photography because it is possible to put more feeling in to the image to draw the viewer in to the painting, to see what it was like to work in the quarry, in every weather, which affected their health.
Many of the quarrymen died at a young age of pneumonia or would age quickly, because of the effects of silicosis. They knew that the slate dust was killing them and they were paid poor wages and overworked until the work wore them down.
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