Mark Pinder is one of the most feted photographers in the north, and his latest exhibition captures the changing face of the region – and beyond – over the past few decades.

An unemployed man digs for scrap metal. The ‘March for Brexit’ begins in Sunderland. Trans activists protest at a ‘Kill the Bill’ gathering. The last few decades have certainly been a febrile hunting ground for documentary photographers, and Mark Pinder has often found himself in the eye of the storm. But his latest exhibition isn’t just fuelled by despair and anger. We also get a punk playing with his dog. Brass bands at the Miners’ Gala. Families wandering around the 1990 Garden Festival in Gateshead. Societal change has been captured, but a deep affection for the region also shines through. The exhibition coincides with the launch of a superb new book, which collects together photographs from the exhibition along with a plethora of others. It’s a beautifully produced tome and replete with jaw dropping shots. Our advice: see the exhibition; get the book. RM

Mark Pinder: Macromancy: Britain and the North East of England 1986-2022, until 16 April, NGCA, Sunderland. sunderlandculture.org.uk. The book of the same name is published by Kerber.