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Once Upon a Time in Wales film
"In 1971 while a 19-year-old film student I photographed the remarkable characters of Merthyr Tydfil in the South Wales valleys. I then put the photographs in a box and put them away under the stairs. Nearly forty years later I found the box. Exhibitions and a book followed. The more I looked at the images the more I wanted to know what had become of these people. I then embarked on a personal journey and returned to my hometown of Merthyr to film the people and places. Their stories turned out to be more extraordinary than I could ever have imagined. Some talked of their lost childhood dreams but there were violent deaths, murders, MI5 involvement and one had a novel written about his short dramatic life."
Principal photography comenced in the summer of 2009
Pingyao Festival 2009
Photographs in China
Work at the China Pingyao International Photography Festival September 19th to 26th.
Cyfarthfa Castle exhibition
Exhibition at Cyfarthfa Castle Art Gallery Merthyr Tydfil
October 1st to 31st 2009
Arles 2009
Exhibition of work at Agence d"artistes Photographes
from 7th to the 12th July 2009
rue de la liberte
Arles
Nuit de la photographie contemporaine
Work will be exhibited at the Nuit de la photographie contemporaine (Night of Contemporary Photography) at the Foire Saint-Germain in central Paris in the afternoon and evening of 22nd June 2009. It will take place in the Place Saint Sulpice Paris 6 from 14:00 until midnight.
Europ'art'09
Work exhibited at Europ'art'09 International Art Salon in Geneva between 22-26th April 2009.
europ'art'09
Exhibition expo Peniche Paris
Exhibition from 1st - 7th December 2008 on the Boat Daphine, Quai de Montebello, Paris. In front of Notre Dame Cathedral.
Monday 1st of december : 18 - 22h : Opening
Tuesday 2 : 12 - 21h
Wednesday : 17 - 21 h
Thursday : 12 - 21 h
Friday : 12 - 21 h
Saturday : 12 - 17 h
Sunday : 9h30 - 13h : Closing Brunch.
Taliesin magazine
Feature in winter edition of Taliesin magazine, Wales's foremost Welsh language literary magazine published by The Academi.
BBC Wales
Interview on BBC Radio Wales Arts Show hosted by Nicola Heywood-Thomas
Broadcast on 20th October 2008
Talk at Lens 4 Festival
1 November 2008
The National Library of Wales
Aberystwyth
"Robert Haines - will discuss his critically acclaimed work Once upon a time in Wales, a collection of evocative photographs taken around 1971-2 in Heolgerrig, Merthyr Tydfil as he saw the essence of his Welsh hometown being torn apart by redevelopment."
National Library of Wales
Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru
Interview in Black & White Photography magazine
Interview with Ailsa McWhinnie with many images in September edition of Black & White Photography magazine Issue 89. Published by GMC Publications
Exhibition at National Museum Wales
An exhibition of images at the National Museum Wales from July until December 2008
Talk- Saturday 12th July 15:00
St Fagans
Cardiff
CF5 6XB
029 2057 350
Rencontres Photographiques D'Arles
The book was exhibited over the summer at the RENCONTRES PHOTOGRAPHIQUES D'ARLES in the South of France as part of the publisher's selection of candidates for the Contemporary Book Award.
Exhibiting in Saint-Germain fair Paris 23.06.08
Work from the Coast series is to be exhibited in La Nuit de la Photographie contemporaine (Night of Contemporary Photography), part of the Foire Sains-Germain held at the place Saint-Sulpice in the heart of Paris. The open air fair will be on 23.06.08 from 14.00 until midnight.
Paris Posters-
Prints in Paris
Prints from the Centre Iris exhibition will be available at-
le centre iris
238 rue Saint Martin 75 003
PARIS
(along the street from the Pompidou Centre)
from May 27th until June 13th.
Les Oyats 2 40 x 50 cms gelatin silver print
Light House exhibition to tour
No details at the moment but due to the amount of interest the Light House Gallery is going to tour the "Once Upon a Time in Wales" exhibition. Venue information will be posted on this site as soon as known.
Babylon Wales review
Book review on Babylon Wales website.
"The Valleys have an enduring appeal for photographers. For decades the mining areas of south Wales have been a magnet for social realist snappers keen to capture the 'authentic' or chronicle a disappearing way of life. Robert Frank’s early-fifties sojourn in Caerau being a prime example. Whilst the quality of Frank's work is undeniable, one can’t entirely eradicate the notion that many of these outsiders turned up with the specific intention of transforming poverty into coffee table art.
Once Upon a Time in Wales is excellent and should be a strong contender for Welsh book of the year (next year). It is published by Dewi Lewis and is on sale now."
Link: Babylon Wales