A NEW exhibition by photographer David Barnes will go on display at Ffotogallery now.

In Solution uncovers some of the eccentric traditions of South Wales.

Emerging from the economic and social fallout of the decline of the region’s heavy industries, communities in South Wales are re-defining themselves for a new future.

However, old traditions and institutions persist along with particular rituals and behaviours.

Some of these are quite unusual, such as the ceremonies of the Loyal Order of the Moose.

David Barnes’ exhibition, In Solution, captures some of the particularities, and peculiarities, of South Wales’ life. This new Ffotogallery commission, supported by the Arts Council of Wales and Caerphilly County Borough Council, reflects Barnes’ work over the last four years. As a continuation of his long-term preoccupation with life and history in the region, In Solution explores the competing forces that can shape social identity and cultural change.

This is the first time a UK artist has been granted such long-term access to Masonic organisations and their meetings. Barnes mixes stills photography, video and collected objects to weave a tale about life in the South Wales Valleys and the areas bordering England.

David Drake, Ffotogallery’s director, said: “David Barnes is a great storyteller, capturing both the strange and familiar. This exhibition offers a remarkable ‘insider’ perspective on some extraordinary practices that lie behind everyday reality in Wales.”

In Solution will be on display from now until December 3 at the gallery located at Turner House, Plymouth Road, Penarth.

Ffotogallery is open Tuesday to Saturday from 11am to 5pm.