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Pitman Painters

William Feaver

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Imprint: Lives and Letters
Publisher: Carcanet Press
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    The Ashington Group began in the early 1930s as an evening class of Northumberland pitmen keen to learn about art. Within weeks they were producing their own work and within a few years their paintings amounted to a complete record of life in a mining community: clocking in, work at the coalface, the pithead baths, Saturday night at the club, the corner shop, dog track, pigeon crees, kitchen, alley and allotment - their paintings ring true transcending the usual limitations of amateur art.

    William Feaver establishes this 'unprofessional' painting in the context of Ashington and of art history, illustrating his books with paintings, drawings, prints and sculpture by the Group as well as with archive photographs.



    William Feaver, former art critic of the Observer, and panter has written a number of books, and organised many exhibitions, among them, 'Thirties' in 1979, ofr the Arts Council and the V&A Museum. He is a trustee for the Ashington Group's work. ... read more
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