We're really excited to be hosting an in-store exhibition of photgraphs by a much respected friend of PROVIDE, who simply goes by the name, Dave. Working in traditional black and white 35mm film with a number of different cameras, Dave has collected a series of images of buildings around Birmingham built by local architect John Madin, some of which will not be around much longer due to 'Forward' thinking local authorities who really enjoy demolishing buildings of local historical interest.

John Hardcastle Dalton Madin was born in Moseley, Birmingham on 23 March 1924 and died on 8 January 2012. Madin was a significant figure of post-war Birmingham architecture. His work has been much neglected and is not highly regarded by the current political leadership within Birmingham. Since Madin's period of dominance in Birmingham there have been very few architectural practices able to match his commercial success at home and abroad. 

Join us for the opening reception on Thursday night, 10 April from 6-8pm in the shop (click here for more). Thereafter, the show will be on display during opening hours (11-6 Monday - Saturday) until May 31st 2014. All framed 12 x 8 traditional prints are limited to 3/3 and are priced at £60 each. As a gesture of goodwill, we will be offering free prints to all high ranking (as defined by themselves) members of Birmingham City Council, on condition that they promise not to demolish any more of Madin's buildings in Birmingham. 

This exhibition is being supported by our friends at the modernist magazine; a quarterly publication about 20th century modernist architecture and design, published in Manchester and available at PROVIDE. We've also brought in a couple of books to complement Dave's photographs; Brutalism: Post-war British Architecture by Alexander Clement and John Madin by Alan Clawley - stock is limited so come and check them out in person soon!