Bags and Baggage at Liverpool Academy of Arts
2 -18 February, 2010
On display are works of art dreamed up by our local artists on the subject of bags – handbags, suitcases, hat bags, carrier bags, we even have one with ‘tea bags’ etc. The only essential was that bags must be the central theme of their work.
Yes, a great number of bags and cases and also paintings related to bags such as Brian Beattie’s ‘January Sales’ and Carl Hodgson’s paintings of ‘Bag Ladies’, he’s created some ceramics on the theme too.
Everything from plastic shopping bags from the high street to exotic handbags. There are bags made by Adrian Henri, bags belonging to various celebrities from tv, radio and music including a suitcase that George Harrison left behind at Irby Village Hall after a gig there.
Len Ehlen’s ‘Handbags at Midnight’ is a good humourous painting of ‘wags’ on a night out.
There’s a lot going on here, in some ways a bit like a museum display with some great old items often including text from the owners about their memories surrounding the cases.
