THE LAST VALLEY TUMBLE
"Offering a sense of romanticism, photography allows the opportunity to explore the world and capture the unknown, and even though I have often thought about traveling and photographing different places, and different kinds people, photography always brings me home.
Tumble has become the focus of most my projects in recent years, and is likely to be for many years to come, I am mesmerised by it. This is the place that I grew up in. It is a place that holds my memories and experience, and it is a constant reminder of who I am. Not only has it watched me grow, I too, now watch as the social and psychological structure of my home village changes and moves towards a greater anonymity.
I wouldn’t say that I am politically charged, I am definitely influenced by social and cultural issues and their effects on society, which have been the starting point of all my projects, including ‘Tumble’. However, I also consider Tumble to be a near-documentary exploring my relationship, and the psycho-geography of my home village, while simultaneously recording the here and now".
Focusing on his home village, an ex-mining community in the heart of the Gwendraeth Valley, West Wales, Huw Alden Davies’ project – entitled ‘Tumble’ - is a personal interpretation and documentation of contemporary Welsh culture and his Sense of Place, here.
In recent years, many rural communities have seen significant change with great effect, inspiring Davies’ decision to photograph the village in what he refers to as its transitional state.
Having been raised in this close-knit community, Davies recognises that the village he calls home has changed rapidly. The traditional ways of rural society are being challenged by a modern homogeneous culture. He accepts that change is inevitable, even though, whilst he was growing up, the village seemed to be a permanent entity. Houses and buildings that had once been fundamental to community life were now being revealed as transient and only of a particular time - they were being replaced by those of a different time. Businesses were closing down or moving out, some of which had been a source of work in the community for over fifty years.
Change has implications, both positive and negative. The death of the original economy, based on mining, undeniably brought great hardship, but also forged further resilience of the community. However, during the latest recession this has been challenged yet again.
