Small Town Inertia - J A Mortram

J A Mortram

Jim Mortram lives near Dereham, a small town in Norfolk. Dereham is no different from thousands of other communities throughout Britain, where increasing numbers of people struggle to survive at a time of welfare cuts and failing health services.

For over many years, Jim has been photographing the lives of people in his community who, through physical and mental problems and a failing social security system, face isolation and loneliness in their daily lives. His work covers difficult subjects such as disability, addiction and self-harm, but is always with hope and dignity, focusing upon the strength and resilience of the people he photographs.

J A Mortram

Small Town Inertia is a remarkable body of work. A full-time carer for his mother, Jim is, like his subjects, unable to escape from the geographical confines of his hometown and his understanding and sympathy for his struggling neighbours is apparent in every photograph. A firm rebuttal of damaging government welfare policies and their well-used rhetoric that ‘we are all in this together’.

J A Mortram

The work is published by Bluecoat Press, who specialise in publishing the work of British photojournalists and social documentary photographers including John Bulmer, Peter Dench, Bert Hardy, Tish Murtha, Paul Trevor and Patrick Ward.

The book can be ordered online at bluecoatpress.co.uk.

The project can be found online at smalltowninertia.co.uk and jamortram.co.uk and on Twitter by following @JAMortram and #smalltowninertia.

J A Mortram

J A Mortram

J A Mortram

J A Mortram

J A Mortram

J A Mortram

Small Town Inertia is currently being exhibited at The Workers Gallery, Ynyshir, Wales until 27 July (www.workersgallery.co.uk). One of the significant things for this show is that all of the testimonies have been translated by Catrin Parri into Welsh (Cymraeg) for the first time.

Jim Mortram discussed his work with Paul Cabuts at the launch of the exhibition and the talk is available on the Ffoton Wales website.

There is a real desire for the exhibition to make a difference. The Workers Gallery is a donations collection point for the Rhondda Foodbank and actively fundraise to support them. The work has inspired a range of events to coincide with the exhibition including a community photography day and a special edition of the monthly WAM (Words, Art, Music) event. Images from the photography day can be found on Twitter/Instagram tagged with #smalltowninertia and #ynyshirphotos.