‘An English Journey’ was an exhibition of photography and video by Andrew Cross. Alluding to J.B. Priestley’s pre-war state-of-the-nation travelogue, ‘English Journey’, Cross surveys a representative cross-section of contemporary England by retracing the path of the old A34 from Southampton through the Midlands to Manchester. A video, ‘3 Hours from Here’, shot from the cab of one of the many long-distance lorries that continue to ply their trade up and down the route of one of England’s main mercantile arteries, formed the centerpiece of the touring exhibition, which, starting in Southampton, also proceeded to Rugby and then to Manchester. For each venue, as an accompaniment to the video, Cross added a number of photographs, specific to each locality, finding moments of local colour in what many of us might all too easily dismiss as an inherently utilitarian and anonymous landscape.

Exhibition commissioned by Film and Video Umbrella, John Hansard Gallery, Rugby Museum and Art Gallery and Castlefield Gallery. ‘3 Hours from Here’ was commissioned by Film and Video Umbrella, in association with John Hansard Gallery. Supported by Arts Council England and Scania Ltd.