IMAGES portraying working life “down below” endured by Cornish tin miners went on display in Durham today (Monday, June 29).

The harsh conditions faced by generations of tin and copper miners in Cornwall are vividly captured in John Scott Martin’s month-long display, Deep Down.

Born in the heart of the Nottingham coalfield, the artist’s imagination was captured by a 1950s newsreel of Cornish mining beneath the sea.

Although he was unable to experience conditions faced daily by the Victorian tin miner on the Cornish coast line, the painter has gone on to pay many visits down below to familiarise himself of the dark surroundings.

His passion for mining has resulted in a collection of underground paintings forming the display.

He renewed his interest in Cornish mining during his time at Nottingham Art College when he made the first of many visits to Penwith in the spring of 1961. Although reluctant to depict underground scenes, believing he had inadequate experience to properly capture it, he finally went, “below grass”, in July 2001, the first of many visits to the face, producing the first of a series of pictures bearing that title.

His latest collection of work, Deep Down, can be viewed at the World Heritage Site Visitor Centre, in Owengate, until July 30.

Further details are available from the centre, on 0191-334 3805.