Mining fashion comes to light
Artists descend into the depths to create a fashion first. Tony Henderson reports
A foray into underground fashion by a group of textile artists will go on show in a two-day exhibition at a historic lead and zinc mines complex.
The Inspired 2026 event on August 8-9 will be held from 10am-4pm at the Barracks Building at the extensive Nenthead Mines site near Alston, when 20 North Pennines artists will be exhibiting.
The exhibition will feature a project by the 16 women who make up the Lololasses textile group.
They decided to see what would happen if they left organic calico cloth for six weeks underground in Carr’s Mine at the Nenthead site.
Pieces of the cloth were folded to create patterns and pegged onto a line and left for mould and atmospheric chemicals to make their mark.
The result was made into a miner’s shirt, which was also embellished with patchwork in the way the workers would have repaired their shirts, and also prints of vintage mining pictures.
“When the mould was washed off it left gorgeous patterns and people have said how lovely it looks. It was absolutely amazing and gives an impression of how the miners’ shirts may have looked over time,” said group member Julia Neubauer.
The weekend event is being run by the Nenthead Mines Conservation Society and is hosted by Pennine Potters. The exhibition displays paintings, drawings, photography, prints, ceramics, textiles, felting and jewellery by 20 artists.
Pennine Potters member Julie Smith said: “The mines have proved to be a wonderfully rich source of inspiration, offering stunning landscapes, striking geology and botanical features
“It is a place with a fascinating social history as well as impressive feats of technical engineering. For those who are familiar with the mines it is refreshing to see the different perspectives these artists have brought to the subject and the variety of different ways that the influences of mining on this area can be seen.
“The Barracks Building provides an atmospheric location for the exhibition and gives visitors the opportunity to see the mines for themselves. There will be mine tours available, and activities for children.”
Nenthead Mines is located in a remote valley covered by remains from the lead and zinc mining industry of the North Pennines, including mine entrances, watercourses, dressing floors and buildings.
The site is famous for its geology and is notable for rare lichens and plants growing on the metal-rich mine dumps. Most of the valley is a Scheduled Ancient Monument.