where we are and how to get here

 

 

Abertillery is a town of approximately 10,000 people in South Wales, UK. Located in a beautiful valley and previously part of one of the biggest British mining districts, the town is now a quiet residential area with a small town centre and some independent local shops.

The town centre contains some well-preserved examples of 19th and early 20th century architecture and we are occupying the shop above.

How to find us:

from Cardiff 

(or by car from Swansea or west Wales):

*by train: catch a train to Llanhilleth (dir. Ebbw Vale), then X15 (Stagecoach) or X1 (Phil Anslow) bus to Abertillery High Street.

When you get off, follow the street with the church to your left. We're 3 minutes from the bus stop, on the right at the far end of the street - opposite the Post Office.

*by car: take the M4 east, exit on junction 28 towards Brynmawr (A467) and follow that road through the hills and valleys until you reach Abertillery (should take about 25 after exiting the motorway).

from Newport

*by bus: Stagecoach X15 from Newport to Brynmawr, get off on Abertillery High Street.

*by car: the A467 from Tredger House roundabout runs direct to Abertillery, or via A4042 to Cwmbran, A472 (via Pontypool) to Crumlin and then (A467) to Abertillery.

If you're coming from the top end of the Valleys (any valley), follow the heads of the Valleys to Brynmawr and then follow the signs for Abertillery. There are several free car parks in town, the closest one to us is Foundry Bridge Car Park.

For more details on bus schedules, go to Traveline Cymru website.

behind her 'I's

 image courtesy of Sophie Berdzenishvili                           

behind her ‘I’s

women in the work of female photographers

“behind her ‘I’s” is a photographic exhibition in Abertillery, Wales, exploring the themes of women’s image and identity from the perspective of female photographers. 

Women have been creating photography from its very beginning, with famous female photographers such as Anna Atkins (1799-1871), Julia Margaret Cameron (1815-1879), Tina Modotti (1896-1942), Lee Miller (1907-1977), Diane Arbus (1923-1971), Francesca Woodman (1958-1981), Annie Leibovitz (b.1949) or Nan Goldin (b.1953), to name a few.

However, in fine art photography, like in other arts, mainstream media and culture, the prevalent role of women is that of aestheticised muses, often passive or objectified. That gaze is not necessarily exclusive to, or inherent in all art created by male artists, but a dominant canon in the representation of women. 

“behind her ‘I’s” is an exhibition aimed at countering this. We’d like to present artists whose work touches upon the questions of female identity and presents a non-standard look at age, beauty and gender roles.

“behind her ‘I’s” is the second event organised by the*kickplate*project, an initiative to bring high-quality international art to people who are not the target audience of art. This time we're featuring Marit Beer (Germany), Sophie Berdzenishvili (Georgia), Hanan Kazma (Lebanon), Mariya Kozhanova (Kaliningrad) and Mano Svanidze (Georgia). 

the*kickplate*project

the*kickplate*project

the*kickplate*project started off as a pop-up gallery in a former barber shop in Wales, and takes its name from the metal plates that sit in place as a reminder of our gallery’s past.

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the popularity of the first exhibition we organised, “Visitors”, made us realise how much an art space was needed and welcome in our small town, and we decided to stay for a bit longer.

our aim is to bring high-quality international photography to a place that doesn’t have a permanent gallery, show that art is not prescribed to one social group and help promote new artists, focusing on countries whose art is often overlooked.

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for us, the*kickplate*project is a way to fight small-town boredom, to question who the target audience of art is and to broaden that audience, to bring art directly into the lives and communities of those people who have been told that art is not for them.

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due to the nomadic character of our lives and the relatively temporary nature of our gallery, we would like to take the*kickplate*project to other places.

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about us

dafydd williams used to be an office worker. now he is a self-taught experimental photographer and camera-maker and hopes to stick to that.

zosia krasnowolska is a cultural studies graduate, translator and a life-long camera addict.

avoiding boredom is one of our most important purposes - Susan Sontag