The exhibition provided an opportunity to reflect on the history of collective action, working-class solidarity and resistance. Marking one hundred years since the General Strike, it brought historical struggles into conversation with the present, exploring how art can keep these histories alive and relevant.
My contribution was a postcard featuring a fist constructed from fragments of paper cut from a biography of Emma Goldman, the anarchist and political activist. Words removed from their original context became part of an image expressing collective strength. The fragmented construction suggests that solidarity emerges from individual voices and experiences brought together. The connection between Goldman and the General Strike lies not in a direct historical equivalence, but in the broader questions of freedom, power and collective action that inform both histories.
The work reflects my wider interest in collage and the transformation of existing materials. Cutting into a biography becomes both a physical and conceptual act, disrupting a continuous text to create new meanings. Participating in the exhibition offered a context in which my work could contribute to a wider reflection on labour history and resistance.
We also ventured over to Scarborough Art Gallery and Wood End Gallery to see some fantastic photography.
