The Making Of Mordor

 
Art & Culture

For any fans of The Lord Of The Rings, history, or just good old-fashioned high quality exhibitions, you've got plenty of time to head out and discover the treats that the Black Country Echoes Festival has to offer. As the festival is already up and running and will continue to do so until January of next year, I thought it was worth having a look into one of the exhibitions on offer that struck me as being particularly interesting.

Most of us are familiar with The Lord Of The Rings on some level yet there are very few people that have taken the time to look at the world in which the epic work was created. This latest exhibition, currently running at Wolverhampton Art Gallery, examines the similarities between Tolkien's native dwelling of the Black Country and the desolate region of Mordor, depicted as a dark hell-hole throughout his great tales. 

The industrial visions of fantasy author Mervyn Peake will be shown alongside early 20th century artists Edward Wadworth, Edwin Butler Bayliss and mid-20th century artists Clive Arthur Gardiner and Michael Ayrton. Also on show are contemporary responses to the post-industrial Black Country. Included are photographic works by Richard Billingham and Brian Griffin and an installation from artist Olafur Eliasson using sapling trees reclaimed from industrialised landscape of Bilston.  

Using Tolkien’s abhorrence of industry as a starting point, this exhibition explores a spectrum of artistic responses, from the early 1900s to present day, to the industrialisation of the Black Country and surrounding region, examining in particular the struggle for dominance between nature and industry.

This exhibition appears to be a must-see outing for any hardcore LOTR fans as it should give an insight into the world behind Middle Earth, allowing individuals to witness Tolkien's early surroundings that became the fuel for his marvellous creations.


You can see 'The Making Of Mordor' at Wolverhampton Art Gallery until 15th January 2015 as part of the Black Country Echoes Festival, click here for more information.