Pirelli Project, 1991

Ian Beesley

These prints have been selected from a series made in 1991 by photographer Ian Beesley to mark the closure of the Pirelli Factory in Southampton. The images form a lasting record of the Pirelli building and surrounding area, from the former Western Esplanade to West Quay Road, which is now occupied by the West Quay shopping centre.

Beesley has captured both honest portraits of the workers as well as poignant images of the spaces devoid of people, showing only what is left of their interactions with the spaces.

Beesley’s work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and is held in many public and private collections including the National Media Museum Bradford, The Smithsonian Institute, Washington, and the National Museum of Labour, Helsinki. In 2012 he was awarded Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society.

Commissioned by City Arts in partnership with Pirelli Cables to mark the departure from their Western Esplanade factory site in 1991.

These works were recently digitised as part of the Gallery’s Unlocking Collections project, funded by Arts Council England.

All works © Ian Beesley