Visions of the Valleys

Kim Howells celebrates 250 years of art in the Valleys, looking at how the place became a magnet for artists drawn by its natural splendour and the spectacle of the industries that grew up there. Former MP and Labour arts minister Kim Howells looks at how the south Wales valleys have been portrayed by artists from the end of the 18th century to the present day. He begins with JMW Turner who visited the Vale of Neath in the 1790s to paint the spectacular waterfalls, but soon discovers that it was the drama of industry that attracted the next generation of painters. By the 20th century artists became more concerned with social issues, showing the despair brought on by the Great Depression. But after the Second World War the mood changed and painters reflected the postwar optimism. Finally, Kim looks at the current generation of artists, including Valerie Ganz and David Carpanini, who portray the after-effects of industry and the natural beauty that's returned to the Valleys.