In 1982, Chris Killip (1946-2020) travelled to the town of Lynemouth to photograph “sea-coalers.” The term refers to people who harvested coal washed up on beaches from local mines. For a year, he lived in a caravan on the sea coal camp, documenting those around him. Today, the artist is a key UK documentary photographer. This retrospective is one of the most comprehensive surveys of his work to date.
![](/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/ZCjSS9m1-960x768.jpeg)
In his monograph Seacoal (2011), Killip provides a description of the harsh Northumbrian seaside: “Men were using small wire nets attached to poles to fish out the coal from the water beneath them. The place confounded time.” In Gordon on Critch’s Cart (1982), a man is shown driving a wagon through the breaking surf. Waves crash against his tyre wheels into seething foam. In Boo on a horse (1984), a young boy sits on a white pony. He stands over a pile of black sea coal, as the bare grey hills are outlined behind him. These are moments of devotion, where pictures are made according to empathy and observation.
![](/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/7p3wMPbF-960x769.jpeg)
Killip’s photographs are surprisingly tender, captured at a time of social and economic crisis, echoing the work of regional contemporaries such as Tish Murtha (1956-2013). The series In the time of Inflagrante (1976-1987) examines the effects of declining industries, such as coal mining and shipbuilding on working-class communities. One such photograph shows miners gathered for the annual Durham Gala, holding banners from the local pits. A woman bears a placard that reads “we can win.” In another, a father hoists his son onto his shoulders to watch a Tyneside parade, their arms and legs entangled.
Baltic’s show is a visual record of loss and strength. At its core is a sense of a community. These images record the resilience of individuals. Killip’s work understands history, and what it means to survive.
Baltic, Gateshead: Chris Killip: A Retrospective | 1 April – 3 September
Words: Chloe Elliott
Image Credits:
- © Chris Killip Photography Trust/Magnum Photos, courtesy of Martin Parr Foundation.