Leo: Sculptures

Commemorative Banner

Public art project commissioned by Creative Partnerships, South Yorkshire, in association with St. Mary's Church and Fulstone School, Barnsley.

Notes written at the time of making:

The Commemorative Banner was not a specifically commissioned work but developed out of my working in Barnsley in relation to St. Mary’s Church. The idea for a banner grew out of wanting to create something with a wide local significance, it seemed fitting at this particular time, 20 years after the Miners Strike, to create a memorial to the mining communities. Twenty years ago there were 21 mines within the Barnsley region, there are now none, on one side of the banner all these mines are named, on the other side is the dedication, "To Commemorate The 1984-85 Miners Strike and the Mining Communities Of Barnsley". To be added to this is an image of a black or negative sun containing a constellation of stars, points positioned in relation to the locations of the mines. The text: 'With or Without Work: The Work Struggl'*, will sit at the bottom of this side.

* This text has yet to be included

The Banner is now part of the Yorkshire Mining Museum's collection of Banners. It is also available to the local communities to borrow.

All photographs in this section are by Cliff Steinberg and were taken during the banners production at Kirkgate Artists Studios, Wakefield, and during the May Day March, Barnsley, 2004

LEO