What train journeys are significant to you? A daily commute, a line to loved ones, or the route to a childhood holiday destination? Do you notice the landscape change as you travel through space, or how it changes in different seasons, at different times of day?
Of time and the railway is a film by Robert Davies about the railway line between Birmingham and Aberystwyth. Since its completion in 1863, the line has been a crucial artery between the industrial West Midlands and mid & west Wales.
Between October 2013 and February 2015 the artist filmed the same train journey each week. Filmed from the unique vantage point of the drivers' cab, Of time and the railway is a fresh view on what is a regular commute for many in west Wales. The footage forms a 1hour50min film that represents a single day, starting at night in Birmingham and finishing in Aberystwyth as the sun starts to set.
In this film by Pete Telfer, Robert speaks from the train as it travels towards Aberystwyth. He explains the idea behind the film, the significance of this journey for him, and how the landscape between England and Wales changes travelling east to west.
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Of time and the railway is accompanied by a soundtrack especially commissioned for the film, composed by Peter Pavli and Robert Davies. The film was edited by Siencyn Langham and Robert Davies. The film has been shown in twelve galleries, including Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Wolverhampton Art Gallery, the National Eisteddfod 2015 and the National Library of Wales amongst others. The National Library of Wales has also acquired the first edition of the film. The film has also been showing in stations along the route and has had about 90,000 viewings to date.
