Drawing on photographs owned by the City of Sheffield, this exhibition shines a spotlight on two different artists with a common fascination; the British landscape.
Fay Godwin began her career as a portrait photographer but later in life became enthralled with the scenery she found while out walking. The photographs on display here are from a selection published in collaboration with poet Ted Hughes in 1979. Remains of Elmet uses poetry and photography to illustrate the remains of culture, legend, myth and industry in the Calder Valley, West Yorkshire. Whilst taking these photographs Godwin became passionate about the Yorkshire landscape, describing it as ‘so very different from anything I’d seen before’. Godwin died in 2005.
Paul Nash, best known for his paintings during both world wars, also came to landscape photography later in his career, turning the camera on themes which had always featured strongly in his paintings. These photographs were taken between 1931 and Nash’s death in 1946, and form part of the ‘Private World’ collection, originally published in 1978. Taken on his travels around England and across the globe, they vividly illustrate Nash’s painterly eye for shape, detail and symbolism.