Leah Gordon: Monument to the Vanquished | Part II | Rural Rebels

Monument to the Vanquished is a Meadow Arts project with artist Leah Gordon and researcher Annabel Edwards that explores the social history of land enclosure in England and Wales.

Part II | Rural Rebels looks at the history of protest against enclosure with a new series of works shown alongside a selection of objects, artefacts and archival material from the museum’s collection. The exhibition also features some works from Part I | The Commoners.

The Enclosure Acts were a series of laws passed in England during the 18th and 19th centuries that allowed for the consolidation and privatisation of common lands, which were traditionally used for grazing, farming, and other communal purposes.

The Acts had a significant impact on the British agricultural landscape, as large landowners were able to consolidate and fence off lands that had previously been used by small farmers and peasants. This led to the displacement of many rural communities and the concentration of land ownership in the hands of a few wealthy landowners. The Enclosure Acts also contributed to the growth of industrialisation in England, as many displaced farmers and labourers were forced to migrate to urban areas in search of work.

Part II | Rural Rebels looks at the history of protest against enclosure and other loss of rights. Such protests were usually small, local, and harshly punished by the courts, and they have largely been forgotten now.

These images are stylised photomontages depicting artefacts of peasant life, shown alongside representations of rural traditions, and objects relating to contemporary land struggles. They question the nature of land ownership and people’s access to the land, with reference to contemporary activists fighting for the right to roam or to have allotments.

The Commoners works were commissioned and supported by Meadow Arts and GRAIN Projects. Rural Rebels works shown at Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery were commissioned and supported by Meadow Arts.