Ian Jackson's Liverpool Arts and Culture Blog
Here’s a picture of the new contemporary Liverpool Coat of Arms painted by Amrit and Rabindra Singh. Don’t know who the guy on the right is but the twins are looking a bit bored.
Its a great painting, I bought a large postcard version for 99p!
The new heritage centre in St George’s hall is open every day except Monday’s now so do take a look.
MUSEUM OF LIVERPOOL STARTS
The first ‘turf’ was cut for the new multi-million pound Museum of Liverpool at a ceremony today. National Museums Liverpool Chairman Loyd Grossman joined Director David Fleming for the landmark event. – Both pictured here.
The ceremony follows the appointment of a main contractor, Pihl Galliford Try – a Danish – British joint venture. The Museum of Liverpool will be one of the world’s leading city history museums reflecting Liverpool’s global significance through its unique geography, history and culture.
Building on the incredible success of the Museum of Liverpool Life, the new museum will draw on National Museums Liverpool’s vast collections, many of which have never been on public display. As a vital part of the legacy of 2008, when Liverpool becomes European Capital of Culture, it will express Liverpool’s confidence as a great 21st century European city.
Bryan Gray, Chairman of the museum’s major funder, Northwest Regional Development Agency, welcomed the news, “Today marks the first step in the development of an architecturally striking building that will make a spectacular addition to the Mersey Waterfront. Capturing the spirit of this world famous city, the new Museum of Liverpool will provide a unique cultural attraction that will greatly enhance the tourism offer for the city and the region as a whole.
Liverpool artwork of the day – Monday April 30 2007. ‘The Wedding Morning’ 1892 John Henry Frederick Bacon (1866 – 1913) Oil on canvas 118 x 163cm at Lady Lever
I love Lever’s own quote – ‘only a moderate picture, but very suitable for a soap advertisement’. How to boost an artist’s ego eh?
Leverhulme bought this painting from the 1892 Royal Academy private view, specifically for use as an advertisement for Sunlight Soap. It shows a young bride, preparing for her wedding day and surrounded, as is every new bride, by well-wishers and curious onlookers.
The painting received mixed reviews at its first showing. It was described by critics as both ‘an essay in lighting’ and as being ‘hackneyed’. Lever himself described it as ‘only a moderate picture, but very suitable for a soap advertisement’.
In the advertisement, bars of Sunlight Soap were substituted for the clock on the mantelpiece and for the cup and saucer on the table.
‘Sunlight Soap’ paintings
Also held within this collection are the ‘Sunlight Soap’ paintings, bought specifically to advertise Lever Brothers’ products and with which Leverhulme began his art collection. In these works he was looking for cheerful figures of ordinary people set in authentically humble interiors. It was in this area that the expanding soap market lay.
Some artists, such as William Frith, objected to the use of their paintings as soap adverts. Leverhulme gradually ceased simply reproducing their paintings with his company name printed over them. Instead he issued high quality colour reproductions of paintings as prizes for collecting quantities of soap wrappers. These images often emphasized the importance of good clothes, personal appearance and cleanliness in general.
REMIX by Mark McNulty
Launches at the Metropolitan Bar, Berry Street with live music on Thursday May 10 2007 20.00
In the time honoured tradition of a remix, Liverpool photographer Mark McNulty has given his long running exhibition at Metropolitan Bar a complete overhaul. The show now features both new faces alongside new images of people that appeared in his original exhibition but this time the show is 100% music featuring the likes of Candie Payne (pictured here), The Kooks, The View, Eva Petersen of Little Flames, The Pipettes and Pop Levi.
2007 is actually the 20th year that Mark has been documenting the music scene in the city and his work began with covering events such as the Earthbeat festivals in Sefton Park and clubs such as G-Love, The Underground and Quadrant Park. He then went on to photograph many Liverpool artists such as The Farm, Space, Echo & The Bunnymen and Cast as well as working for international magazines photographing the likes of Bjork, House of Pain, Travis, Paul Weller and Portishead. His work has featured on various album covers and in magazines as diverse as Mixmag, The Face, I-D, Italian Vogue and The Observer.
As well as this exhibition of brand new photographs, Mark is also starting to open up the first part of his archive which will include photographs of artists such as The Stairs, The La’s and The Real People. These photographs are on show at Probe Records on Slater Street and will also feature in Mark’s second book ‘Capital Of Pop Culture’ which will be released later this year.
BBC Radio Merseyside
Interview with Claire Hamilton (BBC Radio Merseyside) and Gaynor Evelyn Sweeney and Tony Knox (from Transvoyeur)
Gaynor Evelyn Sweeney (UK Projects Coordinator) and Tony Knox (Curatorial Researcher) from Transvoyeur in interview on upcoming Transvoyeur Charity Auction in Aid of Emergency Department of the Royal Liverpool University Hospital.
Date to be aired: Sunday 29 April 2007
Time: 1.00 pm – 3.00 pm
Presenter/Interviewer: Claire Hamilton (Arts and Culture Programme)
Frequency: 95.8 FM
Listen Online: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/merseyside.shtml
Article about Phil Disley and his new exhibition at 3345 Parr Street in the Liverpool Daily Post
Short notice but a lovely place to visit on a sunny Sunday afternoon…
Kitchen Gallery at Norton Priory.
You Are Here
Private View 29th April 2007 13.30 – 16.00
Confirm your free entry to Norton Priory’s Walled Garden by RSVPing to
info@kitchengallery.uk.com
or phoning on 0772 987 3001/ 01928 577487
You Are Here explores the notion of location in many contexts; spatial, philosophical, economical, historical.
With artists including Nicola Dale, David Lunt, Julie Jones, Jane Fairhurst, Susan Toler, Emily Hudson, Stanislaw Krakiewicz and Ann Goddard.
The positions of boarders and edges have always fascinated artists. Each of the invited artists showing in this exhibition at the Kitchen Gallery considers these shifting parameters in different ways; by use of objects or paint each artist explores a distinct site to create unique and engaging dialogues on the theme.
Whether the metaphor is mutated toys falling through space (Jane Fairhurst) to explore the distance which our consumer desirables travel to reach us, or the gap between solid and gaseous states (Susan Toler), You Are Here will connect the viewer with a special sense of the artists’ perception of place.
Exhibition continues from 27th April to 3rd June 2007
Opening times Fri-Sun & Bank Holiday Mondays 1.30-4.30 and by appointment.
Entry fee to Gardens Adults £4.95, Children/concs £3.25/ under 5s free but Gallery is free.
The Kitchen Gallery
Norton Priory Museum & Gardens
Runcorn
Cheshire
WA7 1SX
www.kitchengallery.uk.com
info@kitchengallery.uk.com
Tel: 01928 577 487/0772 987 3001
Meet the Artist talks will be held at Norton Priory Museum’s Clore Suite throughout May. Please contact the Kitchen Gallery to reserve a place though just turning up is fine too.
Check the website www.kitchengallery.uk.com for details of future exhibitions and events.
Two visits to St George’s Hall today. During the day we went via the new Heritage Centre entrance at the South end of the building and did the full tour of the building. They’ve done a great job of refurbishing the place and installing good facilities, shop, artwork etc.
Until Sunday the fantastic Minton tiled floor in the Main Hall will be uncovered for all to see. After that I think it will still be visible under a new glass covering. I think the organ is more visually exciting though.
We saw the cells (damp and smelly), the courtroom, learning suite, a huge new sculpture of St George and, of course, the brand new Coat of Arms painted by the Singh Twins which is excellent.
At 21.30 we were back in St John’s Gardens to watch the Son Et Lumiere Projection onto the back of the hall. Again, this was excellent. After a bit of live music from a string quartet and a bit of flame juggling whilst people took their seats, there was about 25 minutes of a well presented potted history of the past 800 years since Liverpool was born. Good graphics, narrative and soundtrack and the crowd seemed well pleased.
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