How a student is capturing the impact of industrial waste in Lynemouth

Published on 2, August, 2024

A University of Sunderland student who has dedicated his artistic career to addressing environmental and social issues has now turned his focus to Lynemouth, an area significantly impacted by industrial waste dumping. 

For over seven decades more than 30 million tons of colliery waste was tipped at Lynemouth, artificially extending the coastline into the sea. Coastal erosion exposed that material, and, in 2022, Northumberland County Council set up the Lynemouth Bay waste management plan. Council teams have been removing waste washed onto the beach and excavation work has started to clear a further 190,000 tons of material.

Colin Pickett, an MA Visual Practice student, has visited the site more than 30 times.

"Northumberland has such a stunning coastline and what happened at Lynemouth was so tragic, I just wanted to capture that contrast," he said.

“It's very sad when you consider that if you go just a few miles up the coast, it's just immaculate and beautiful in every way, but you slide into Lynemouth and you see the power station which stands out and suddenly you're in this industrial landscape.”

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With his photographs, Colin hopes to "highlight the issue of coastal landfill sites combined with the issue of rising sea levels and extreme weather events resulting in increased coastal erosion."

He said: "Lynemouth is particularly compelling because it represents an area neglected by industry and used as a dumping ground, leaving behind detritus for future generations to address.

"Now the clean-up operation is underway, it's wonderful to know change is coming," he said. “It started as a project of sadness but now it's become one of hope.”

Colin chose to shoot in black and white to both isolate the subject matter and align with the style of Chris Killip's photographs of Lynemouth from the mid-1980s.

Beyond the exhibition, Colin hopes to expand the project to cover other coastal landfill sites across the UK, "I have around 30 possible sites to consider around the UK, although I would like to focus on sites in the north-east from Durham through to Northumberland."

The exhibition, part of the end-of-year MA showcase, will feature a diverse array of works, including fine art, glass, ceramics, and photography. Colin's photographs, along with those of other students, will be on show from 22 to 27 September in the Priestman Building at the University.