'Thought-provoking' artworks inspired by old mines

A new display featuring artwork of some of the Isle of Man's underground passages is "thought-provoking and compelling", the curator has said.

The Mann Underground exhibition at Manx Museum explores Major Shane Lucas' lifelong fascination of underground passages and the mine workings of Laxey and Lonan.

A former British Army officer and caving enthusiast, he has spent decades exploring the island's historic mines and now channels that experience into art.

Curator Matthew Richardson said Lucas' understanding of the mines around Laxey was "truly unique" and the display provided the chance to "experience his distinctive and powerful artwork."

Following his military career, Lucas was responsible for surveying the Great Laxey Mine for the Manx government, gaining rare first-hand knowledge of the complex network of tunnels.

Through his research, he has also uncovered many of the human stories behind the industry including of men, women and children whose work shaped the communities of the Laxey valley in the Victorian era.

His experience meant he was "one of only a few living people who have explored much of the mine complex first-hand and knows better than most what it feels like to be several hundred feet underground," Richardson said.

"That real life experience of the Great Laxey Mine is very rare, giving his work an authenticity and depth that is both thought-provoking and compelling," he said.

Manx National Heritage, which is hosting the display in its Cabinet of Curiosities, said Lucas' artworks captured "the atmosphere, mystery and physical intensity of life beneath the surface".

The exhibition is on display at the Manx Museum in Douglas until 4 May.

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