A beautiful Georgian square of limestone houses with tall, imposing arched windows, a little cabstand for the drivers of horse drawn carriages, St James’ Parish School originally set up for the poor were all destroyed in the first major bombing attack on Bristol in the Second World War.
Local Learning asked Level 2 Art and Design students at City of Bristol College to represent the bomb damage of this area. Using ink and bleach, students conveyed the devastation, some concentrating on the explosions and others creating detailed images of the ruined buildings. Limiting themselves to working with only two colours produced a stark and striking effect, resembling film negatives. As a result of this impression, Local Learning chose to present their finished images as black and white photographs on a film reel.