Capturing the Rural Life of Blackdown Hills By Pauline Rook

A recent exhibition by Pauline Rook at The Rural Life Museum captures the rural essence of the Blackdown Hills.

In 2002, Somerset-based photographer, Pauline Rook, was commissioned to capture the ‘spirit and essence’ of Blackdown Hills through her captivating images. Little did she know that the project would ignite a spark within her, taking her on adventures exploring the area's vast countryside, and the individuals that resided there.

Some 20 years later, Pauline has collated all the photos she took of people, farming and landscapes, and is now presenting them at an exhibition at the Rural Life Museum, which takes place from January 8th until March 19th, 2022. The exhibition documents rural farming life across two decades in some 54 black and white images, most of which are printed on Fotospeed’s Legacy paper. This is a fine-art paper which is not only perfect for black and white images, but its 85+ year life span mirrors the longevity that Pauline is highlighting in her exhibition. 

    

 

Pauline herself has a long lasting connection to the English countryside, having spent nearly 20 years dairy farming in Somerset. Her roots have only gone on to further fuel her desire to document the interesting characters and areas of the farming world – particularly in those areas which are under-populated or inaccessible. 

‘’My principal passion continues to be working in the rural environment. I built up a photographic archive for the Blackdown Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty when it was newly designated. 

 

 

 

[This] landscape of small farms and many lanes continues to fascinate and delight me. I love to include farm animals in my pictures – my years of farming and having my own flock of sheep have come in handy.’’ Pauline says.

The exhibition includes some images from Pauline’s archives, as well as more recent work which has been captured using infrared techniques she began to learn during lockdown. Infrared (IR) photography is a type of photography that allows you to experience things you may not usually see, due to IR being beyond the spectrum of what human eyes can detect. As a result, IR photographs exhibit a world much different to the one we would normally experience – just like in Pauline’s photographs. 

 

 

Sam Astill, Head of Museums for the South West Heritage Trust, said: “The photographs tell a tale of rural survival as well [as] giving an insight into the working practices of an accomplished Somerset photographer. We’re delighted to be exhibiting Pauline’s work in the museum whose many exhibits further explore the history of farming in the county.”

 

 

 

On 12 February, Pauline will be taking part in a Meet the Artist event at the Rural Life Museum, where she will host an open discussion on her work and invite questions from visitors. She will also be giving an illustrated talk, as part of the museum’s Talk and Tea series. 

 

For more information on the exhibition click here.

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