‘Black Rock and Other Wonders – Flags of Myth and Memory’
19 July – 14 September 2025 Fort Perch Rock, New Brighton
Fresh from their solo show ‘Un/Earthed’ at the Williamson Art Gallery & Museum, local artists Angela Stringer and Nicky Perrin, the collaborative duo behind Landlines Studio, return with their latest body of work, ‘Black Rock and Other Wonders’, a striking exhibition featuring eight hand-painted flags, installed at the historic Fort Perch Rock, New Brighton.
Flying from the fort’s flagpoles, each flag tells of both fact and myth, stories that have been passed through generations. From whispers of the underground munition factory run by 200 women in WW2, to chronicles of the Black Rock Mermaid calling men out to sea, these tales have been stitched together in combinations of folklore, seaside nostalgia and wartime history.
“It’s an incredible honour to be exhibiting at such a historic site on the Wirral and is especially poignant as both of our dads were in the RAF. It’s been fascinating to hear about the 610 Squadron who are commemorated at the fort and to be able to weave in this personal history with stories of smugglers and mermaids, and a secret morse code message.”
Made using natural materials such as sandstone and burnt wood, along with prints made from discarded rusty items all collected from inside the fort, the flags carry the colours and textures of New Brighton’s shoreline. Shaped by the weather as they fly, over the coming weeks, rain and salty sea air will blight the flags as they become bleached by the sunlight and are battered by strong winds.
“It’s going to be interesting to see how quickly Mother Nature takes hold of the flags at such an exposed site, and with the elements already taking their toll, our closing date of September the 14th may prove optimistic! Having explored weathering processes in previous work, we’ll be fully embracing whatever happens.”
A collection of smaller artworks made from the same textiles and pigments as the flags will be exhibited at the fort’s Mess Café, open daily 9-5, the flags are available to view 24 hours a day.
‘Black Rock and Other Wonders’ runs from the 19th of July until the 14th of September 2025 at Fort Perch Rock, New Brighton CH45 2JU as part of the Independents Biennial programme running at various venues across the Liverpool City Region.
For more information contact:
Website – www.landlinesstudio.co.uk
Email – hello@landlinesstudio.co.uk
Instagram – @landlines_studio
Facebook – Landlines Studio
