March will see the launch of Steve Randall’s largest ever solo exhibition. The collection of works will be accompanied by a soundtrack that has been specifically produced by composer W E S T H E A R T (AKA Kenny MacLennan), making it the first audio visual arts event ever to be held at The Royal Liver Building.
Steve came to art late in life after his wife was diagnosed with an incurable brain tumour. He gave up his career and they set off to Spain to spend as much quality time together as possible. It was whilst in Spain that Steve began to paint and his wife joked that she liked the idea of being married to an artist. Steve decided to make that dream a reality, which was the start of him consciously building a legacy for his wife.
By 2017 Steve was painting full time and since then he’s exhibited in numerous places including Kirkby Gallery and The Walker Art Gallery. In 2018 Steve became an artist in residence at Aintree University Hospital where he is still heavily connected to the staff wellbeing program. In the decade since his wife’s diagnosis, he’s raised more than £43,000 through his arts initiative to help various charities across the Liverpool City Region.
Steve first became known for his nostalgic illustrations of his childhood in Kirkby and pivotal moments in his life but his later work includes ethereal landscapes, inspired by many trips he and his wife have taken to Scotland. Steve commented, “I find solace in watching other people connect with my art in their own way and I hope the addition of music by W E S T H E A R T will really help accentuate that connection”.
W E S T H E A R T (aka Kenny MacLennan) has been a musician for several years but only started working on solo projects around early Feb 2020. He explains, “The timing felt right to explore new music ideas, with everything that was going on in the world, it felt like peace of mind and space was becoming more and more important”.
Steve and W E S T H E A R T met online after discovering each other’s work on social media. They then realised they were both connected to the same Scottish Football team and soon they were talking about an audio visual collaboration.
The soundscape created for the “Transitions” exhibition was a departure for
W E S T H E A R T as it is the first time his work has been informed by someone else’s visuals. However, given that his music is generally inspired by the landscape around him and many of Steve’s recent paintings are influenced by the same areas in the highlands, the union between the artists felt a very natural one.
The exhibition curated and organised by Laura McCann, will open to the public on Friday the 14th of March and run 10am – 4pm daily until March 28th. Steve will be painting a large mural during the event and the soundtrack by W E S T H E A R T will be playing throughout. Should you wish to bring your own headphones, you will be able to scan a QR code and listen to the soundtrack via your phone. Entry to the exhibition at The Royal Liver Building is Free and the ground floor is fully accessible. For more information please head to lauramccannphoto.com