Yorkshire, God's own country.
With Peter Mitchell and a spot of brutalism in Leeds, and Chris Killip in Skinningrove.
Hello,
Today, I take you on a trip to God’s Own Country, Yorkshire, where I find a couple of brutalist buildings, visit the excellent Peter Mitchell exhibition and leaf through Chris Killip’s latest photobook.
1, Photos
1.1, Bank House, Leeds.
After the Great Train Robbery in 1963, the Bank of England set up regional bullion centres to reduce the movement of money around the country.
Bank House was built on the site of a demolished warehouse, completed in 1971 by the Building Design Partnership (who also designed the strikingly handsome Preston Bus Station1) and Grade II Listed in 2015.
It had reinforced basement vaults and was opulently clad in Cornish granite and bronze in acknowledgement of the treasures encased within.
1.2, University of Leeds, South Campus
Lucky Leeds. While designing a city within The City2, Chamberlin Powell & Bon turned their attentions to Leeds to create a pedestrianised concrete labyrinth for students to learn. You can spend hours roaming the layers of pathways and see different views each way you turn.
2, Photographer - Peter Mitchell
The main excuse for visiting Leeds (apart from visiting old friends), was to visit ‘Nothing Lasts Forever’ - a wide ranging exhibition of Leeds based photographer, Peter Mitchell. It’s a strangely familiar3, acutely observed tour of a rapidly transforming Leeds of 50 years ago.
The exhibition continues until 6th October 2024 at Leeds Art Gallery and I heartily recommend a visit.
I also recommend any of his books. Nothing Lasts Forever is a full retrospective (and a good introduction), but my favourites are Early Sunday Morning and Epilogue.
03, Photobook - Skinningrove by Chris Killip.
“The village of Skinningrove lies on the North East coast of England. Hidden in a steep valley it veers away from the main road and faces out onto the North Sea. Like a lot of tight-knit fishing communities it could be hostile to strangers, especially one with a camera.” Chris Killip
‘Skinningrove’ is the last book Chris Killip worked on before he died. An intimate, encompassing portrait of a village on the Yorkshire coast.4
“Skinningrove reveals Killip’s dedicated conviction that no one’s life is ordinary, that everyday lives are, in fact, sublime.” Niall Sweeny & Nigel Truswell5
Preston Bus Station was almost demolished in 2014. It was a time when all sorts of horrors were meted out on brutalist masterpieces (see Birmingham Library). Fortunately, sense prevailed and it topped a recent poll of the best building in Preston in the local newspaper.
The Barbican in The City of London was the theme of a previous post:
Barbican
Last weekend I ambled around the Barbican as part of a Leica Akademie workshop. The Barbican fascinates me. Built on a site razed by the Blitz as a city within a city. An example of the optimism and ambition of post-war architecture - an icon of brutalism
Which is the title of Peter Mitchell’s now very rare early monograph, Strangely Familiar, which I rather presciently bought when it wasn’t £300…
Skinningrove is available directly from the publisher, STANLEY/BARKER.
Book designers extraordinaire. Pony Ltd designed Eamonn Doyle’s stunning books i, ON and END as well as Killip’s four zines, The Station, his recent retrospective and Skinningrove.
Enjoyed reading this even if I take issue with the title. The place you had in mind is a bit further north!! 😉
That makes me wish I'd gone to the University of Leeds...