The Caravan Gallery: Is Britain Great?
16 – 20 September 2010
Private View: FRIDAY 17 September 2010, 18.00 – 21.00
A photographic exhibition in a caravan showing the reality and surreality of contemporary Britain with a focus on Liverpool. The Caravan Gallery is a mobile exhibition venue and visual arts project run by Jan Williams and Chris Teasdale who are on a mission to photograph the ordinary and extraordinary details of contemporary leisure, landscape and lifestyle.
Eager to examine clichés and cultural trends they are drawn to the absurd anomalies and curious juxtapositions typical of places in transition as regeneration fever spreads. Many of these images appear on their custom made ‘reality’ postcards and on the pages of their best selling series of ‘Is Britain Great?’ books.
Since its launch in 2000 The Caravan Gallery has travelled thousands of miles documenting the changing face of Britain. It has exhibited in countless locations in conjunction with art galleries, biennials, street festivals and community projects engaging with people from all walks of life, many of whom would never dream of setting foot in a ‘proper’ art gallery.
It even got shipped to Japan by fashion designer Paul Smith to show the people of Tokyo that there’s a lot more to Britain than thatched cottages and Buckingham Palace. Jan and Chris set out to record a ‘Sense of Place’ in their photos and delight in capturing details that arrest the attention of outsiders but frequently go unnoticed by residents.
On the other hand many of their images represent random sightings -such as the infamous Afghan hound in a shell suit in Sheffield – that frequently defy belief . Central to their approach is Psychogeography which explores the relationship of place to its social and cultural history.
Visit this unique caravanic venue to see a selection of photos from The Caravan Gallery’s ever-growing archive built up over 10 years’ travelling around the UK, then have your say by completing an unusually entertaining survey about life in Britain today.
Seriously thought-provoking, deliciously absurd.
Books, prints and postcards available for sale.
Open: 11.00 – 18.00 Thursday 16th to Monday 20th. Open till 21.00 on Friday 17th.
Part of the Independents Liverpool Biennial strand.
Location: In the courtyard at the Bluecoat.
Venue details
Caravan Gallery