Originally presented as images and text, in doing so, it raised questions about how industrial labour is represented and how documentary photography can be used to reflect on work and power. Grassick’s approach was shaped by a desire to move beyond the surface of factory spaces, looking instead at the pressures, routines and identities shaped by work. The combination of portraits, interiors and fragments of conversation helped to create a more layered account of industrial experience.

Grassick used his project to explore burgeoning industrial disputes giving voices to union members: "Morrisons of North Road want their workforce to be as presentable as possible to customers. In the case of women, this has been interpreted as wearing skirts rather than trousers. But in a food store such as Morrisons, the temperature is always low so that the goods on sale do not perish. So warm clothing – trousers and cardigans – is required, especially in freezer areas. The company ask their workforce to dress in order to sell goods, not to keep warm. The right for women to wear trousers in supermarkets is one important aim of our union” – Brian Weber, local area officer of the shop workers’ union, USDAW.

Though made more than forty years ago, Surviving on Darlington’s Shop Floors resonates with current questions about labour, value and economic change. It offers an early example of Grassick’s interest in social documentary and set the tone for his later work with Amber, where he continued to explore themes of work, community and representation.

Richard Grassick is a British photographer and filmmaker whose work often focuses on communities in transition, both locally and internationally. He was an active collaborator with Amber Films and Side Gallery through the 1980s and 90s, producing a range of socially engaged projects that explored identity, belonging and representation.

With a background in both still and moving image, Grassick has worked extensively across Europe, particularly in Germany, developing projects that connect personal stories with broader political contexts. His practice is rooted in documentary traditions, but often extends into experimental and participatory modes of production.

Grassick’s commitment to collaborative practice and underrepresented voices has defined much of his career, and his work remains part of the wider legacy of community-focused photography and film in Britain.