Battle of Orgreave
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Work: publication, archive photography, design.
Location: Sheffield
Date: 2023
Cover: Paperback
Binding: Twin slot screw
Pages: 16
Dimensions: 182 x 257 mm
Edition x 1
Due to the reign of Conservative government, guided by Thatchers direction. It was believed that the excessive costs of increasingly inefficient collieries had to end in order to grow the economy. She planned to close inefficient pits and depend much more on imported coal, oil, gas and nuclear
This ideology meant that the mining towns, economy and the people who relied upon these factories were forgotten about. With the conservatives brashly putting their new plan in place, it created an inevitable friction between the unions and the government, resulting in strikes.
The slide show presents each page in chronological order, providing a structured narrative of the events during the miners' strike. The unconventional design requires the reader to unscrew twin slot screws for each page, implying a sense of effort and engagement. This physical interaction could be a metaphor for the challenges faced during the miners' strike. The resulting individual pages serve as tangible tokens of the historical event.
Readers can take away single pages as mementos, perhaps creating a connection between the reader and specific aspects of the miners' strike. Alternatively, the pages can be gathered in order to create a larger poster-style arrangement, allowing for a comprehensive overview of the strike when viewed collectively.The consistent moody forest grey cover sets the tone for the publication, reflecting the tough times during the miners' strike. This choice of colour serves as a narrative reflection, reinforcing the emotional and historical context.
Tracing paper, chosen for its transparent nature, further conveys the grey emotion and serves as a tool to emphasise key areas of the miners' strike. The transparency of the tracing paper symbolises the interconnectedness of different events during the strike, illustrating that what is visible on one page is connected to the content on the next. The decision to introduce colour only on the final page signifies a modern perspective or a reflection of the present state of the area related to the miners' strike. This colourful element could offer a visual contrast to the predominantly grey narrative, indicating progress, change, or a contemporary perspective on the aftermath of the strike.
The pages, when ordered correctly, likely create a cohesive and visually engaging narrative that unfolds in a structured manner, reflecting the chronological progression of events during the miners' strike. The ordered pages, when laid out in sequence, potentially form a continuous and seamless storyline, allowing readers to follow the historical development of the strike. Emphasising the large-scale poster alternative suggests that the individual pages, when arranged together, transform into a collective visual representation of the miners' strike.
This presentation method enables readers to step back and absorb the entire narrative at once, providing a comprehensive overview of the events, themes, and emotions associated with the strike. The use of the term "large scale" implies that the poster could be significant in size, possibly offering a more immersive experience for the audience. The visual impact of the assembled pages may be heightened by the deliberate design choices, such as the consistent moody forest grey cover and the strategic use of tracing paper to emphasise key areas and connections between events. The juxtaposition of the predominantly grey narrative with the final colourful end page may create a striking contrast, drawing attention to a contemporary perspective or a positive outcome after the challenging times depicted in the publication.
The presentation of the ordered pages as a large-scale poster alternative is likely designed to enhance the narrative flow and storytelling aspect of the publication.Readers, when observing the entire piece, may experience a sense of immersion and connection to the historical events, as the ordered pages visually guide them through the miners' strike journey.
In summary, the statement suggests that the publication's design not only focuses on the individual pages but also emphasizes the collective impact when presented as a large-scale poster alternative. This approach aims to enhance the storytelling experience, allowing readers to appreciate the miners' strike narrative as a cohesive and visually impactful whole.