Pan ddarfu’r diwydiannau trymion daeth yr angen am y dociau i ben, gan adael adfeilion a thlodi ar eu hôl. Bellach chwalwyd a chliriwyd ardaloedd eang, yn adeiladau diwydiant a masnach yn ogystal â chartrefi, ac yn sgîl hynny chwalwyd cymdeithas unigryw hefyd. Allan o’r chwalfa honno datblygodd Bae Caerdydd fel y mae heddiw.
With the terminal decline of the heavy industries the need for the docks came to an end, leaving dereliction and poverty in their wake. Since then large swathes of buildings have been demolished, both industrial and commercial as well as homes, and as a result a unique community was also torn apart. From that upheaval Cardiff Bay developed to be to what it is today.
Er moderneiddio a pharchuso’r hen Tiger Bay, mae rhai hen deuluoedd â chysylltiadau cryf â’r gorffennol yn dal yn byw ac yn gweithio yn yr ardal hanesyddol hon.
Pleser oedd cydweithio â’r artist Lisa-marie Tann a sawl cenhedlaeth o un o’r teuluoedd hynny i weddnewid cwpwrdd pîn i adlewyrchu eu profiadau a’u hanes fel teulu.
Despite the modernisation and the gentrification of the old Tiger Bay, some old families with strong connections to its past still live and work in this historic area.
It was a pleasure to work with artist Lisa-marie Tann and several generations of one such family to transform a pine cupboard to reflect their history and experiences as a family.
Cychwyn y dydd oedd mynd allan efo camerau a ffonau symudol i dynnu lluniau o gwmpas y Bae, gydag aelodau’r grŵp yn edrych ar yr ardal trwy eu llygaid eu hunain, ac felly efo rheolaeth uniongyrchol dros y dewis o ddelweddau.
The day started with going out with cameras and mobile phones to take pictures around the Bay, with group members looking at the area through their own eyes, and therefore with direct control over the selection of images.
Mae elfennau o’r hen ddociau yn dal i’w gweld – yn olwynion rhydlyd, adeilad eiconig y Pierhead, yr hen offer yn gelf cyhoeddus, a’r “dolffiniau” pren sydd i’w gweld yn nŵr y Bae. Er y sglein modern, y crôm a’r gwydyr mae rhwd yr hen beiriannau yn parhau i dystio i hanes yr ardal.
Yn ôl yng Nghrefft yn y Bae printiwyd y ffotograffau i’w gosod ar y darn. Yng nghlyw hanesion y teulu yn cael eu hadrodd gan y genhedlaeth hŷn – atgofion o fwrlwm y dociau, y gornestau bocsio, caledi byw a bywiogrwydd y gymdeithas – aeth y to ifanc ati i newid ac ail-gyflunio’r cwpwrdd i adlewyrchu eu profiadau hwythau hefyd.
Elements of the old docks can still be seen – rusty wheels, the iconic Pierhead building, old industrial plant as public art, and the wooden “dolphins” in the waters of the Bay. In spite of the modern gloss, the chrome and glass, the rust of the old machinery remains as a testament to the history of the area.
On returning to Craft in The Bay the photographs were printed ready to be placed on the piece. To the sound of family stories being told by the older generation – memories of the hustle and bustle of the docks, the boxing contests, hard times and the vibrant community – the younger members turned to changing and re-configurating the cupboard to reflect their own experiences too.
Mynegiant o’r holl bethau yma ydi’r gwaith a wnaed ar y cwpwrdd, sydd bellach wedi ei droi â’i ben i lawr, a’r coesau wedi eu gosod ar ben ucha’r darn yn fynegiant o un o nodweddion cyfoes y Bae. Mae’r drysau yn ymdebygu i giatiau’r “lock” ar y gamlas, a’r lliw coch yn adlais o’r rhwd a’r hen adeiladau brics.
The work done on the cupboard is an expression of all these things, with the piece now turned upside down and the legs placed on top reflecting one of the Bay’s contemporary characteristics. The doors resemble lock gates on the canal, and the colour red is an echo of the rust and old brick buildings.
Cyfunwyd atgofion cynnes y genhedlaeth hŷn efo balchder yr ifanc yn eu dinas nhw ar ei gwedd newydd – a gosodwyd rhai o’r “hen ganiadau” tu mewn i’r cwpwrdd, yn drysorau i’w cadw a’u trosglwyddo yn hyderus i’r dyfodol a chenedlaethau newydd eto i ddod.
The warm memories of the older generation have been combined with the pride of the young in their own city in its new guise – and some of the “old songs” were placed inside the cupboard, as treasures to be kept and handed down confidently to the future and yet new generations to come.
