Altered Landscape

About

Altered Landscape Series

Cornwall, 2021

Altered Landscape is a series of works by Tracey Thorne which traces the footsteps of her father, a Cornish miner, to explore the impact of decades of mining on the land in Cornwall. The work explores the 'familiar' through a set of found photographs that were discovered in 2011 when her father died. It provides an opportunity to seek new meaning bridging the gap between memory and reality

Using these found photographs and some old mining documents led to an exploration and revisiting of mining sites in two of Cornwall’s mining districts around; Gwennap and the Camborne and Redruth area.

In response, the artist made a new body of work that explores mining through the context of her own life and interest in environmental issues. The work seeks to look at the way mining has changed the topography of the land, issues relating to water pollution, and land use.

It invites people to think about mining from the context of our evolving concerns about the environment. Challenging us to go beyond the popular narrative and love affair with mining in Cornwall.

We can learn so much from the past and by observing the land.

The work was exhibited in 2021

Giclée Photo Rag prints and cyanotypes on Fabrianno 5 Paper

Various dimensions

The project was supported by Arts Council England.

List of Works Photograph Prints

When you were gone

Pump Engine House (Built c1888) to Pascoe’s Shaft, Wheal Francis, Carnkie overlay Jeffery Thorne and Tracey Thorne on Gwitihan Beach c1973.

Wastelands I

Headgear over New Cooks Kitchen Shaft, South Crofty Tin Mine

Wastelands II

Disused a fenced-off section of land from the former South Crofty Tin Mine.

Capped Off

Clwyd Cap, a pyramid-shaped wire mesh frame Wheal Busy Downs, St Day.

Nature’s Chimney

Brick chimney stack which was part of Old Cooks Kitchen Mine (dates back to 18C)Pool.

Pollution I: Abandoned Mine

Water treatment plant on the former Wheal Jane Mine site which closed in 1991, Baldhu, Truro.

Pollution II, No Unauthorised Entry

Polluted land Carnon River, Bissoe Valley Nature Reserve.

Trolly

The sunken trolly in a water pool of the Red River, South Crofty Tin Mine, Tuckingmill.

Rebirth

Pendarves Equestrian Centre on the former Wheal Pendarves Mine site that closed around 1985, Pendarves, Camborne.

Pollution III

Polluted wet lands in woods along the Carnon River, Bissoe Valley Nature Reserve.

Remains

Derelict section of old mine workings which was part of the former Wheal West Bassett mine set of building’s (built C1874)Carnkie.

What’s left behind

Derelict Winding Engine House to Chappel’s Shaft that were part of the Old Cooks Kitchen Mine workings, Pool.

Cyanotypes

Remains I Boots

A pile of old Wellington boots left by miners following the closure of South Crofty Mine in 1998, South Crofty Mine(Photograph 2012), Pool.

Remains III

Persons Below Shaft, former South Crofty Mine (2012)Pool.

Everyone’s Gone Home II,

View of the old dilapidated corrugated mill mine workings which were part of the former South Croft Mine which closed in 1998, (2012) Pool.