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Abstract
The increasing display and exhibition of historic miners’ banner acts as a catalyst in creating an appreciation of the value of these relics. New banners, commissioned by a community to replace their damaged or ‘retired’ historic banner, are being paraded at the Durham Miners’ Gala, which enjoys greater attendance now than in the 1970s, when pits were still fully operational. Walter Benjamin proposes that a piece of art in its original and intended location possesses an ‘aura’, and therefore this study asks whether these new miners’ banners can possibly possess the ‘aura’ of their historic counterparts. As ‘living objects’, Grayson Perry speaks of the banners paraded at the Durham Miners’ Gala in spiritual terms and draws parallels with the parading of treasured artworks in Medieval Florence.
But how does a community represent its unique identity through the artwork of its banner? By interviewing artists within contemporary practices in Durham (North East England) and a fabric conservator with a speciality in banners, the historic and contemporary Durham Miners’ banners have been explored in relation to their relevance for new communities.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Fiona Raeside-Elliott
Fiona Raeside-Elliott is Head of Fashion at the School of Design, Northumbria University. Her research into banners started when she was commissioned to design the contemporary Saint Cuthbert’s banner which now hangs at the entrance to Saint Cuthbert’s shrine in Durham Cathedral. In reflecting on her practice-based research, she questioned the ‘worth’ and ‘value’ of a contemporary banner; as a result, she started to explore the rich culture of miners’ banners in North East England. Her research investigates the significance of these objects which she considers in terms of artistic expression, representation and conduit for emotional wellbeing. [email protected]