Mik Critchlow Explained

Mik Critchlow (7 March 1955 – 7 March 2023) was a British social documentary and portrait photographer who made work about North East England, in particular about his home town of Ashington.^{[1] [2] [3]} A book of this work was published in 2019 and he had a solo exhibition at Woodhorn museum in 2021/22.^{[2] [4]} Critchlow's work is held in the collection of Amber Film & Photography Collective.^[5]

Life and work

Critchlow was born and lived in Ashington, Northumberland. His grandfather worked as a coal miner there for 52 years and Critchlow's father was a coal miner. He left school aged 15.^[2]

Beginning in 1977, he worked for decades on a long-term documentary photography project about Ashington, chronicling social change, including with its coal mining.^{[2] [6] [7]} An exhibition and book, Coal Town, depicted "the colliery and the people who worked there before and after the mine was closed."^[2] He also photographed the harsh way of life of people collecting seacoal from the beach near Lynemouth power station, close to Ashington.^[8]

Death

Critchlow died on 7 March 2023, on his 68th birthday.^{[1] [9] [10]}

Publications

• Seamen – The NUS Strike 1988 – 1989: Photographs by Mik Critchlow. Black Diamond, 2013. Edition of 200 copies.
• Hirst. Manchester: Buddleia / Morpeth: Bait (Museums Northumberland), 2018. With a foreword by Andrea Hawkins. Edition of 500 copies.
• Coal Town. Liverpool: Bluecoat, 2019. With a foreword by Derek Smith.^[2]

Solo exhibitions

• Coal Town, Woodhorn, Ashington, 2021/22^{[2] [4]}

Collections

• Amber Film & Photography Collective, Newcastle upon Tyne^[5]

External links

• • by Museums Northumberland

Notes and References

1. Web site: 19 March 2023. Click here to view the tribute page for Mik Critchlow. funeral-notices.co.uk.
2. News: 12 March 2023. Mik Critchlow: Tributes to acclaimed documentary photographer. BBC News. 11 March 2023.
3. Web site: David. Morton. 9 March 2023. Images from Coal Town by Mik Critchlow. 26 June 2019. Evening Chronicle.
4. Web site: David. Whetstone. 9 March 2023. Photographer Mik Critchlow and his visual history of Ashington. 30 October 2021. Evening Chronicle.
5. Web site: 9 March 2023. Ashington - Amber Collection. Amber Film & Photography Collective.
6. Web site: 9 March 2023. Social documentary photographer to show his images of everyday life at Morpeth venue. 1 March 2022. Northumberland Gazette.
7. Web site: 9 March 2023. Documentary photographer captures coalmining stories of Ashington. ITV News. 19 November 2021.
8. News: Susie. White. 9 March 2023. Country diary: This beach is ever-changing. Today it is black with sea coal. The Guardian. 14 November 2022. 0261-3077.
9. https://www.itv.com/news/tyne-tees/2023-03-10/renowned-photographer-known-for-capturing-coal-mining-industry-dies-aged-68
10. Web site: Ravi. Ghosh. 19 March 2023. Remembering Mik Critchlow, the North East's great narrator. British Journal of Photography.