'LIFE' - Ian Beesley

Last September Salts Mill held a retrospective exhibition of the Bradford social documentary photographer, Ian Beesley's work. (See HERE for my post about it.) His photos hold a lot of meaning for me as they record the changing face of Bradford since I first moved here in 1970, as well as including a project about the closure of coal mines. (Coal mining is also a strong part of my heritage; on my mother's side of the family many of the menfolk were miners.) I thought at the time of the exhibition that it was a real shame that there was no accompanying book, so when I saw a Kickstarter project aiming to raise enough funds to publish a book, I knew I had to support it. Thankfully many others also supported it and the result is this wonderful volume. My signed copy arrived last week and I'm thrilled with it. Full of evocative photos, with Ian's characteristic dry sense of humour and wry recollections laced through the text, and some moving poems by local poet Ian McMillan, it is a tour de force.

The book has just been launched in the Mill, with a talk by Ian B himself. I popped in to see the new exhibition, which shows the various stages of compiling the book. I did wonder whether to go to the introductory talk but Ian is booked to speak at my camera club next season so I thought I'd wait for that event. I'm not sure for how long the current exhibition is on but I'm glad I took the time to see it. 

I also had time to browse in the bookshop (sorely tempted by another beautiful book about Minimalist photography - managed to resist!) but then tempted by a cappucino in Salts Diner, in their David Hockney-designed mugs. (It turned out to be Hockney's birthday on 9 July, he's 86. Happy birthday David!)

My walk home took me along the south front of Salts Mill. I've not been that way for a while... Still the same, still breathtaking. I love MY life!