Sediments

Provenance of the Brick (ongoing)

Selected work included in Overture (East Meets West group exhibition), Format International Photography Festival, Derby, March 2025

This photographic study retraces the production of bricks that, as a durable and recyclable building material, fulfil a clear economic need. The series highlights the arduous labour required for their manufacture and their industrial heritage. It also shows extraction from the Earth of shale, the sedimentary rock from which bricks are made, and the role of fossil fuel. Ultimately, the series comments on the tension between economic viability and environmental sustainability, a key concern of our times.

For context, it is important to recognise that the current environmental crisis can be traced back to the industrialisation of the global economy. During the Industrial Revolution in Britain, bricks became the preferred building material because they were quicker and cheaper to manufacture than quarrying stone. In this historical sense, their production is a fitting context within which to reflect on present-day environmental concerns.

Acknowledgements. These photographs were made at Furness Brick and Tile Company Limited, a 150-year-old brickworks in Askam, Cumbria. I sincerely thank the management for their trust, earnestness, and support. Your willingness to engage with an urgent and difficult subject is remarkable and gives me hope. I am also indebted to the workers for their generosity. Your welcoming and forthcoming attitude highlights the human capacity to find common ground.