Issue #25 - October 2021 News, Reviews & Listings for visual art in Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral.
Cover image: Aja (detail from The Philosophies series) by Gold Maria Akanbi
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Art in Liverpool, issue #25, October 2021
Editorial: The relationships between culture and horticulture are fairly fluid, but the way the worlds operate has always been closely tied. RHS Chelsea Flower show last month, miles from Liverpool, while spectacular, hosted the same perpetual problem that underlies the exhibition programmes in almost all our galleries: a means to an end. The theme that Chelsea lit up this year was ecological preservation – through, carbon reduction, plastic waste, rising temperatures (and their impact on how, and what, we plant), and the necessity for organic gardening. It’s admirable, and Chelsea makes an impact on the gardening world. They say jump, we say how high. But. Their gardens last a few days, then, despite the efforts of most designers, are dumped, or mulched. Or, in the best case scenario, get lifted piece by piece on to the back of lorries, and carted off around the country, having already been carted up and down motorways to get there.
It’s hard to believe wholeheartedly in something, when the person telling you it uses contradictory methods to tell you it in the first place.
But there are simple changes (whose main challenges are administrative rather than financial) which could have created real resilience for artists in worse positions than Art The parallels with gallery in Liverpool. More flexible criteria, programmes might not be direct, less ambitious annual turnovers, but any conversation about bringing a blind eye turned here or there to local artists into programmes funding history. inevitably starts with boards containing few, or no, local artists. There are reasons it didn’t happen, Events expecting to teach funding but it’s another moment where the methods and sustainability to small resilience of the sector is presented independent arts organisations and to us, without real transparency over collectives are typically initiated by the way we achieved it. the collectives, rather than the ones There are less direct hypocrisies from with the wisdom to impart. the art world, than the gardening And in many ways that’s fine, world, but it all circles back to because it’s the responsibility of ensuring that the means we take to ourselves to build our own careers, whatever end, matches the impact of not the responsibility of those the end result. The journey taken to who’ve already built their own. It’s support local artists, and ensure the the presentation of it all though. The resilience of our industry doesn’t creation of support, which has taken need to start at the top. desperation to create. And, in case it didn’t come through, I owe a great deal to Arts Council I still very much love both of those England, and their support over the worlds. years to Art in Liverpool, and their more recent support in times of crisis.
Art in Liverpool magazine is a monthly newspaper and calendar about visual art in the Liverpool City Region / To contribute, or submit your events and exhibitions, email: info@artinliverpool.com / We’re here to support galleries and creative spaces, so make sure to keep us up to date about your events at least two weeks in advance of each issue. / If you’d like even more of a presence in the magazine we have advertising available every month, and take bookings well in advance. For details on pricing and deadlines contact Patrick: patrick@artinliverpool.com
Issue #25, October 2021: Editor: Patrick Kirk-Smith Contributors: Lorraine Bacchus + Kathryn Wainwright + All advertising, sponsorship, distribution & event enquiries should be sent to info@artinliverpool.com / Art in Liverpool C.I.C. / Company No. 10871320
Gold Maria Akanbi: BlackFest at The Royal Standard Reading is incredibly powerful. You become part of an audience, listening to your own voice, attempting to recover the empathy of the writer. For an artist more used to paint than pens, it takes a leap of faith to present your voice so directly as to put it in text. Gold Maria Akanbi not only shares her voice, but uses it to channel the voices of Yoruba deities, and their teaching, or guidance to those who need them.
that they share a version of these spirits which kind, thunder, water, sun, life, and death, in takes ownership of masculine and feminine one single entity. gods, and their attributes, for the use of their The fact I’m unfamiliar with the Yoruba followers. orishas doesn’t matter. Just that I, as a reader Their teachings are shared by Akanbi to in this scenario, am willing to read in their empower her audience, as much as to share voice through the artist, and ignore my own her own empowerment through them. interpretation. Akanbi takes confident ownership of her own cultures, and those that surround her. The use of familiar Nigerian painting techniques set a tone for all of her work, but it takes a deeper look to understand her fluency in those cultures, as well as to grasp her history with the subjects under investigation.
What’s more, as I walk around the space, Gold Maria Akanbi is at work, adding text to the walls, and building on the installation, in what is as much an invited studio as a gallery. Nothing says this artist cares more than finding them editing their exhibition half way through its run.
One of those subjects is the female body. Her portrayal of what is ‘woman’ is clear through Ṣàngó, the orisha most familiar to most, from much of the work in the room, but through the eight at work in Akanbi’s Philosophies the teachings of the orishas, who share their series, speaks through the artist as the symbol attributes with her. Woman, in the case of of virility, and masculinity. But what is Akanbi, is feminine, masculine, virile, angry, intriguing about the siting of the paintings, is
The exhibition was entirely static work, with no audio, no film, no projection, but it felt alive. Every brush stroke is purposeful, enticing, and full of definition in every sense of the word. The hand written text of the works which have stuck with me the most,
the Philosophies, acted as storytelling. It’s a shame this is the only visual art exhibition in this year’s Blackfest, but it does give it focus and attention which might have been lost in the noise of a wider programme. -Words, Patrick Kirk-Smith Gold Maria Akanbi’s exhibition at The Royal Standard has now closed. BlackFest continues until 9/10/21
Pause for Living, Roxy Topia & Paddy Gould. An exhibition at CBS Gallery & Pink Sands Studio Two exhibitions, because they can. Two spaces I have meant to visit over and over and over again, and always failed, astounded me in their exceptionalism. CBS and Pink Sands are galleries without any real parallels in the city, both going far past the expectation of a studio gallery.
spaces.
exhibition content, the art historical references and the day to day prompts we all faced through Polymer clays, resin paints and 5mm board just the last year. washed together in a spotless installation of surrealism, whose pretences were broken down Put the washing on, feed the fish, clean the by the representational drawings of mundane houseplants. It all feeds back into home life, (if at times, obscure) household items. considering the intricate memories sparked by simple items on our shelves, or reflections on The work was mostly created in 2020, but loved ones. began prior to any whisper of a pandemic. It’s transformation as a result of isolation, by two But equally, the relationship between Roxy artists who live, work and think together, is clear Topia and Paddy Gould, provides a unique through the still life drawings of plants, empty insight into the working lives of artists. Their cereal bowls, pristine bathroom cupboards and in person collaboration was limited to their laundry racks. own four walls, so the conversations, as well as being personal, have a hint of professional The sculpture, for the most part, is unrelated timekeeping – pausing for a tea break. to the drawings in any immediate sense, but the suggestion of the exhibitions title, Pause There’s humour to the show, which continues to for Living, leads to those mundane sketches 3rd October, but there’s also a sensitivity which being teased into the sculpture, with a crisp helps to make 2020 a little more palatable. broken down form of a laundry basket, holding And a promise of future projects in both CBS blackness, and stacked with perfectly folded Gallery & at Pink Sands Studio. I need to visit wooden t-shirts. more than once every four years now.
These are spaces ready for people to see their work, their process, their ideas, and their collaboration, and to feel, at the same time, isolated and engaged in only the work. The same detachment you feel in major gallery spaces – just you, and the work. No niggling little “I can see the joint tape”, or “look at that polyfiller on the floor”. Perfect spaces. The story of the show is told indirectly in the catalogue, which shares a transcription And even though I’m irritated I’ve missed out of a conversation that only completes if you on so many shows in these spaces over the last visit both exhibitions. The conversation, Still few years, I’m glad it was this linked show talking about the weather, is split into two that took me to both. The installation by Roxy halves; Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter. Topia & Paddy Gould was as immaculate as the The second seems more directly related to the
-Words, Patrick Kirk-Smith Images, Kathryn Wainwright Open until 3rd October at Pink Sands Studio Now closed at CBS Gallery
National Museums Liverpool has announced a collaboration between architects Asif Khan Studio, Sir David Adjaye OBE, Mariam Kamara and artist Theaster Gates as the winning team of the Waterfront Transformation Project: Canning Dock competition. This landmark project will transform the area between the Royal Albert Dock and Mann Island, as well as revitalising all our waterfront facilities, as part of National Museums Liverpool’s (NML) 10-year masterplan of reimagining Liverpool’s waterfront. The starting point and highlight of this transformation will be the redevelopment of the Dr Martin Luther King Jr Building which
^ Asif Khan Studio, Sir David Adjaye OBE, Mariam Kamara and artist Theaster Gates as the winning team of the Waterfront Transformation Project
N ew s Canning Dock set to be transformed by artists & architects
will be at the very heart of the reinvigorated International Slavery Museum, which recently received £9.9m funding from The National Heritage Lottery Fund. A dramatic new front door will lead to spaces to explore and investigate the transatlantic slave trade and legacies. The Canning Dock competition, managed by Colander Associates, is supported by £120,000 of funding from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA), as part of their Race Equality Programme. Taking in key landmarks, including the creation of pedestrian links to the Canning Dock, and bringing life to multiple buildings within the area, the brief for the project drew on the complexities of the site. A primary focus of the transformation is to respond to the waterfront’s unique history – looking at ways to bring the history of the transatlantic slave trade more into the public realm through compelling yet sensitive designs – and ensuring Liverpool’s Black communities are engaged and represented throughout.
The collaboration between Khan, Adjaye, Kamara and Gates was the unanimous choice for the judging panel, which included local representatives as well as industry experts. Chaired by Paul Monaghan, Liverpool City Region, Design Champion and Founder of AHMM, the panellists were hugely inspired by the high quality of all the entries and the passion and expertise of the winning team, which exemplified the best of amalgamating history, design, and innovation. Creating a unique destination that links storytelling, heritage, community, connectivity and commercial activity, the jurors were impressed by their ambitions defining the change that will establish the waterfront as a place for all, and intriguing new visitor journeys.. Drawing upon their collective knowledge, the blockbuster design team – which includes both international and nationally recognised organisations and individuals – will work with NML, stakeholders, communities, the public and wider design team to ensure that
the vision for the new waterfront is explored and delivered with a collaborative, open and accountable approach. From building benches to bridges, the team will synthesise opportunities and constraints, and begin to develop scenarios that test ideas and approaches. Consultations and workshops will be facilitated by their community programming group which includes 20 Stories High, Writing on the Wall and Squash Liverpool and through this method, the team will determine the best way to successfully animate the visitor experience on the waterfront. This timely transformation is not just for Liverpool, but for the whole of the UK. NML will work collaboratively with the design team to build on strengths, respond to challenges and opportunities and be a catalyst for social improvements and creating space for people and communities. This project allows the space to redefine its identity beyond its core role as NML’s arrival gateway, and something that befits its many visitors.
^ Owl and pussycat photo call at Knowsley Hall. Picture by Gareth Jones
N ew s ^ Leyland Metz, 1938 © National Museums Liverpool
New transport attraction for Birkenhead a unique view of the innovative leading transport history of the Liverpool City Region. A nationally significant collection of visually stunning large objects will be on display, including Mersey Tunnel Pay Booths and the Mersey Railway locomotive Cecil Rakes. An outstanding selection of important commercial vehicles, horse drawn carriages, fire engines, motorcycles and bicycles will also complement The Transport Shed (working those already on display at the title) will be central to the new nearby Wirral Transport Museum, Dock Branch Park; a unique urban giving an overview of how people parkland developed on the site in the region lived, travelled and of the now disused Dock Branch worked from the 1800s to the Railway Line, one of the world’s present day. first rail freight lines opened in energy-efficient venue 1847. It will display items from The repurposing a disused railway line NML’s 250-strong transport collection – one of the best in the will improve the built environment UK – ensuring that these incredible and protect local heritage, whilst examples of transport engineering also concentrating on ensuring are given a worthy home that has post-COVID town resilience. public accessibility and display at Residents are currently being its heart. invited to have their say on the The new visitor attraction, joining design of the Park and Shed NML’s other seven city region (https://haveyoursay.wirral.gov.uk/ museums and galleries, including dock-branch-park) The Town Deal, which saw Wirral Council being awarded £25m for a range of transformative regeneration projects in Birkenhead, will allow NML to create the new 5000 square metre attraction as part of regeneration plans for an 800m stretch of the former Dock Branch Railway line, which runs through the heart of Birkenhead Town Centre.
the Lady Lever Art Gallery in nearby Port Sunlight, will give
The Owl & The Pussy-cat launch Knowsley Borough of Culture Most people are very familiar with The Owl & the Pussy-Cat poem that tells the tale of two animals setting off to sea in a ‘beautiful pea green boat.’ But what many people do not know is that the poem, by Edward Lear, was actually written at Knowsley Hall.
This is not the first time that Lear’s connections to Knowsley have been celebrated in art. Already the Borough is home to The Nonsense Alphabet at Knowsley Leisure & Culture Park in Huyton. The Alphabet was created by artist Gordon Young 10 years ago as part of a community project where residents were encouraged to share This fascinating fact and Lear’s their own nonsense poems and help connections to Knowsley are set to shape these important public to be celebrated throughout 2022 artworks that are still on display for with a huge sculpture trail featuring residents. 30 pairs of 2-metre-high owls and pussy-cats. The project, which is a Local artists interested to find out key part of Knowsley’s calendar of more about The Owl and the Pussyevents for its year as the Liverpool Cat project should visit www. City Region Borough of Culture, cultureknowsley.co.uk. Artists can has been launched by the current be either professional or amateur Earl and Countess of Derby whose but are asked to take inspiration family’s connections with Lear date from Knowsley – its people, history and other characteristics. back to 1831. Two of the incredible sculptures, produced by Wild in Art, were on display this morning and an open invitation was launched for local artists get involved and submit their ideas to decorate these impressive creatures. Also present at the launch was Cllr Shelley Powell Cabinet Member for Communities & Neighbourhoods from Knowsley Council – who will be organising the trail, which will launch in the summer of next year.
For more information on Knowsley’s year as the Liverpool City Region Borough of Culture follow @ cultureknowsley on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook and visit www.cultureknowsley.co.uk
N ew s
Storytelling with Patrick Graham 16-17 October, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm Museum of Liverpool Author Patrick Graham reads excerpts from his children’s book, Three Little Jamaicans. Close up on slavery, abolition and activism 17 and 24 October, 11am-12noon, 1.30-3.30pm International Slavery Museum Visitors are invited to get hands-on with some important objects by joining the Learning & Participation Team as they present the International Slavery Museum’s handling collection, including artefacts that are carriers of history and inspiring examples of resilience and activism.
National Museums Liverpool Black History Month programme:
Uprisings 1981: A Commemoration 24 October, 1-5pm, Museum of Liverpool Join us for an afternoon of discussion and performance to reflect on the events of 1981 in this 40th anniversary year. With national activists, artists and commentors, we will remember the uprisings which swept UK inner cities and consider their legacies and lessons for today. This event is produced in partnership with Writing on the Wall and The Institute for Creative Enterprise at Edgehill University.
Highlights from the events programme, which runs throughout October, include thought-provoking displays, topical talks and discussions, a series of film screenings and author-led storytelling for children.
Liverpool 8 Against Apartheid Continues throughout October, Museum of Liverpool A display exploring some of the strong connections between Liverpool’s Black community, Nelson Mandela and the antiapartheid movement. In the 1980s, Liverpool 8 was tireless in its support of the anti-apartheid struggle through demos, product boycotts, park runs and the Free Nelson Mandela Campaign.
‘Brown Babies’ of the Second World War 9 October, 1-3pm, Museum of Liverpool A talk by author Lucy Bland, drawing on research from her book Britain’s ‘Brown Babies’: The stories of children born to Black GIs and white women in the Second World War. Museum of Liverpool will also host a pop-up National Museums Liverpool has announced display exploring this history between the 2 and a number of not-to-be-missed events taking 17 October. place across its museums and galleries to mark Benin display at World Museum: Film Black History Month. screening, panel discussion and Q&A
Events to look out for include: Santerre painting on display 1 October, Lady Lever Art Gallery The oil painting of Catherine-Marie Legendre, painted about 1705 and attributed to Jean Baptiste Santerre (1658-1717), is the only item from the gallery’s 18th century collection to depict a person of colour. Following its conservation, the painting will be on display in a new and more prominent position on gallery, acknowledging its context. Inspirational Black scousers 5-9 October, 11am/2pm, Museum of Liverpool An opportunity to join the Museum’s Learning & Participation Team as they talk through the fascinating stories of some of the many inspirational Black British people connected to Liverpool.
9 October, 2-4pm, World Museum A film screening and panel discussion with members of Liverpool’s African diasporic community, reflecting on workshops recorded in 2019/20 – were designed to help the Museum rethink the display of its Benin collection. Free event, online booking essential. Craft at the Museum – Joseph Johnson’s hat 9-10 October, 11am-12pm, 1-4pm Merseyside Maritime Museum Joseph Johnson was a Black sailor who lived 200 years ago. Younger visitors are invited to get creative and try their hand at making a replica of his hat. Yore Lens on L8 16 October, 2pm, Museum of Liverpool A special screening of a series of short films and documentaries by Akoma Arts that celebrate decades of creativity, art, and history in the Liverpool 8 community. The films are a retrospective reinterpretation of archive footage, reconnecting the past and present and exploring Black Life in L8 through film.
COMING HOME: Jem Wharton Continues throughout October, Museum of Liverpool James ‘Jem’ Wharton was one of the most successful boxers in Britain in the first half of the 19th century. He represents a long history of Liverpool-based Black people’s achievements in boxing. As part of the National Portrait Gallery’s ‘COMING HOME project, the Museum of Liverpool displays a portrait of Jem, painted in 1839 by the Liverpool artist William Daniels. For the full Black History Month events programme at National Museums Liverpool, visit liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/bhm To find out more about Legacies of Transatlantic Slavery virtual classrooms, visit liverpoolmuseums. org.uk/learn/virtual-classrooms
A stunning collection of ceramic objects by the Victorian, preeminent ceramic designer, William De Morgan, is opening at the Lady Lever Art Gallery in Port Sunlight on 1 October 2021. Sublime Symmetry: De Morgan Ceramics, featuring around 70 objects on loan from The De Morgan Foundation, will be on display until 9 January 2022.
Birds often featured in De Morgan’s work, however he often gave them human characteristics or nonsensical accessories to create humour, such as the crowns worn by the fantastical swans in the Symmetrical Swans plate. As a child, De Morgan reverently studied Thomas Bewick’s History of British Birds (1797) which beautifully illustrated birds native to Britain. The symmetry in this design intensifies the imaginary world De Morgan has created. Nicola Scott, Exhibition Curator, National Museums Liverpool, said: “De Morgan combined technical genius with artistic flair to create these symmetrical designs, with patterns of birds and mythical creatures amongst his most imaginative and iconic. The exhibition celebrates the structure and technical process of the artist as well as the beauty of the ceramics.”
Highlights include his Symmetrical Crowned Swans plate; tiles featuring the mythical griffin, a creature part-lion and part-eagle, as well as a swimming birds dish with stylised waves and another set of swans, this time in rotational symmetry. His peacock and carnation tiles, included in the The exhibition is free to enter but exhibition, are amongst his most visitors are encouraged to pay what they think. complex designs.
^ Charlotte Corrie and Christina Grogan, c. Tabitha-Jussa
N ew s ^ image: © De Morgan Collection, courtesy of the De Morgan Foundation
New images released of coming soon De Morgan exhibition at Lady Lever Art Gallery
National Trust reopens Liverpool photographers’ 1950s ‘time capsule’ home and studio
and Patricia Routledge. Margaret Hardman, who was an accomplished photographer in her own right, managed their successful business.
Edward is also noted for his photographs of the British landscape and Liverpool’s mid20th century transformation. After he passed away in 1988, the house and a vast archive of photographic prints, negatives and records were After having to close its doors in acquired by the National Trust in March 2020 due to the pandemic, 2003. The house has opened on a the National Trust is reopening seasonal basis for guided tours ever one of Liverpool city centre’s since. hidden gems for visitors to enjoy Visitors will be able to step inside special guided tours. the impressive Georgian house on One of four properties owned and Rodney Street as part of a guided cared for by the National Trust in tour. The tours last 45 minutes Liverpool, the terraced Georgian and take visitors to explore three house of 59 Rodney Street was the floors of the property including the home and photographic studio of photographic studio, dark room and Edward Chambré Hardman and his the Hardmans’ own living quarters. wife Margaret between 1949 and Visitors can also explore Agency 1988. of Women, a new contemporary All four floors of the property are art exhibition by artist-in-residence still filled with cameras, studio Tabitha Jussa. It features a collection equipment and other objects left of black and white and hand over from their business, as well coloured portraits of 17 women at as the Hardmans’ personal items, the forefront of Liverpool’s arts including a kitchen stocked with and culture today, taken in the decades-old food packaging and Hardmans’ studio early last year. Margaret’s clothes and jewellery. Jussa has been inspired by Margaret Hardman, the female workforce Irish-born Edward became the employed by the Hardmans and leading portrait photographer in the women who came to have their Liverpool from the 1920s to the portraits taken at 59 Rodney Street. 1960s, taking portraits of many celebrities of the age including Ivor Novello, Margot Fonteyn
^ image credit: Mhairi Bell-Moodie.
LGBTQIA+ inclusive ‘Genderland Festival’ embraces Liverpool A two-week long festival of drag events, talking circles, cabaret and more kicks off this week! Supported by Arts Council England, Genderland Festival will provide a space for members and allies of the queer community to dive head first into the gender spectrum, engaging with complex ideas of what it means to exist outside of ‘the binary’ (two gender system).
“And it wouldn’t be Mooncup if we weren’t going to have a bit of anarchic fun with it too. Do watch out for our ‘drag promenade’ across the city and cabaret events and make sure you grab yourself a ticket...”
19th C Britain’ and ‘Gender and Language’ and workshops including; ‘Gender Exploration’, ‘Talking about Gender through poetry’.
And why not don some sequins and discover your drag alter-ego with Mooncup Theatre’s very own The festival is aimed at members of the Spice Boys in the much-awaited ‘Drag Workshop LGBTQIA+ community, artists and allies but & Promenade’ - which will see festival-goers take organisers are clear that everybody is welcome. to the city’s streets in full drag! Those who want to learn more about gender and how to be a good ally are encouraged to take part. Festival-goers can also enjoy a cabaret evening and disco finale with DJ Campbell L Sangster. Isobel Balchin, founding member of Mooncup Theatre and one of the festival’s organisers, said: Events will take place in locations across “We all experience gender, whether we realise it Liverpool, with the majority being held at Metal Liverpool. or not.
“However, there is a chasm of difference within -our society around ideas of gender, with people View the festival line up and ticketing that challenge the so-called ‘norm’ often suffering information on Mooncup Theatre’s website here: discrimination just for existing as their true selves. www.mooncuptheatre.org/genderlandfest “At a time when Liverpool’s queer community is Ticket prices: still reeling from a series of hate crimes in recent • Full Festival Pass - £45 (£40.conc) - available months, we wanted to offer a platform so that the from Sunday 19 September. voices of those from marginalised groups can be • Day Pass - £10-£15 (£8-£12.conc) - available heard and validated. throughout, subject to availability. See events “So often in conversations about gender, I hear below for individual day tickets. people say they’re worried to ask questions about “Genderland is really about hearing from • Gender Cabaret - £10 gender for fear of getting it ‘wrong’. these different voices and sharing your own, to help each other navigate the worries, wonders Organisers recommend booking a full festival “Genderland is also about allowing space for and downright weirdness of our own gender pass if you plan on attending on two or more people to share thoughts, ideas, feelings about days (as individual days cost £10-15). identities.” the complexities of gender, without fear of making Concessions are available for students, mistakes, because knowing the right ‘terminology’ The festival programme includes talks on; pensioners and those on a low income or in shouldn’t be a barrier to acceptance and growth. ‘Genderation Z’, ‘Gender nonconformity in receipt of benefits. Rebecca Clarke, founding member of Mooncup Theatre and one of the festival’s organisers, said: “Genderland Festival is an opportunity for the queer community and allies to share and learn together in safe, creative spaces, exploring the gender landscape and unravelling the socially constructed ‘norms’ that have been thrust upon, and can harm, us all.
Maddie Girling Jones b. 1999, Liverpool
The personal details found within my work derive from the archiving and collecting of engraved moments, conversations and words spoken by people I know and knew, creating a further sense of intimacy between myself and the work. The glimpses created through this, allow for a form of self-portraiture to be constructed, giving insight into my personal experience through snippets of language and the recording of past selves. The recent introduction of textiles has allowed my experience to be held, allowing a tangible representation of how I felt, creating pieces, which hold and home my past and present selves. www.madeleinegj.co.uk @madeleine_gjart
above image: Cover Leaflet, Madeline Girling-Jones
My work explores the autobiographical and confessional through a variety of media such as: collage, print, photography, painting and textiles, with a focus on language, heavily influencing the direction of the work. I use text to capture and preserve my personal and collective experience, becoming love letters to past moments, memories and feelings. The tracing back and recounting of these moments emphasise my specific association to time and place, creating personal narratives, which reflect the autobiographical aspects of my practice.
The Self and Text: The Importance of Language Within Confessional Artwork, by Madeline Girling-Jones Madeline Girlling-Jones was awarded one of Art in Liverpool’s Publication Awards in partnership with Liverpool Hope University. This is a shortened version of her 2021 dissertation study.
About
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The full study can be read at: www.artinliverpool.com/features/madeline-girling-jones-self-text
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Confessional art “encourages an intimate analysis of the artist’s, artist’s subjects’, or spectators confidential, and often controversial, experiences and emotions.” (Jackson and Hogg, 2020), resulting in often emotive and autobiographical pieces of artwork, whose concepts are elevated through the use of text. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between language and confessional artwork, examining why text is used and how language is explored. Both Tracey Emin and Sophie Calle incorporate text within their broad catalogue of work, using language to express and explore the confessional aspects of their practice. This study will focus specifically on four pieces of their work which exemplify the use of text, concentrating on how language is utilised and how it emotively connects with the viewer and the participants. The confessional can be defined as, “intentional revelation of the private self.” (Jackson and Hogg, 2020), operating as an avenue which lends itself to the expressive notion of handwriting. The purpose of this section is to examine how handwriting operates within confessional artwork by Emin and Calle, focusing on how the visual element of the written word contributes towards the work, exploring notions of intimacy and immediacy.
the artist’s intention, revealing the private self through the way in which they choose to write. The intrusive nature of observing a stranger’s handwriting provokes the notion of intimacy and vulnerability surrounding handwriting. Understanding and recognising the curves in which someone writes is a privilege obtained only through knowledge of another. The display of handwriting invites the viewers, strangers, into an intimate part of the artist’s life, allowing a realm of vulnerability to be opened, ultimately revealing the private self. Tracey Emin’s handwriting is undeniable within her practice. More Love Again (2011) depicts the following, written in loose capitalised handwriting: “I had to ask to be loved again and again and again”. The way in which the text is written suggests an emotive motivation, allowing the viewer access into the conceptual underpinning of the piece, solely through the expressive notion of handwriting. The ‘N’s’ are presented backwards, allowing further insight into Emin’s private self, whilst simultaneously presenting the possibility of vulnerability in allowing the viewer to see her human error.
Emin’s neon light work, I Felt You And I Know You Loved Me (2008), The immediacy of handwriting is a linear 20ft pink neon installation, encourages mark making, which reflects in Liverpool Cathedral, depicting the
title in Emin’s cursive handwriting. The handwriting differs to the one used in More Love Again (2011); it is neat and sophisticated, in an accessible manner enabling the viewer to approach the work without hesitation. The premeditation of the text raises the question of authenticity. The issue of authenticity suggests that although Emin’s work reveals the private self, the redistribution of personal experience suggests this is a revelation of a constructed self. The use of handwriting is also prominent in Take Care Of Yourself (2007), a collaborative project in which Sophie Calle shares a typed email from a past lover in which he ends the relationship, with 107 other women, each interpreting and responding to the letter individually. Calle presents handwriting as a vehicle of immediate response, with particular reference to its use as annotation. Within the project, linguist, semiologist and mediaevalist, Irene Rosier-Catach uses her own handwriting to annotate the email, allowing herself to physically engage with the text. Her notes are energetic suggesting she was focusing on communicating her thoughts rather than the application of them. The positioning of the handwriting suggests that Rosier-Catach was leaning on the paper, which suggests concentration, allowing insight into the private self of the writer. If the annotations were
^ Sophie Calle, Take Care Of Yourself, 2007
^ Tracey Emin, More Love Again, 2011. typed, the same connections might have not been made.
the audience can understand or read a particular language.
The contents of the break-up email from Take Care Of Yourself (2007), are emotionally fuelled. Although the message is directed at Calle, there is a universal response to topics such as love, which can be successfully conveyed through language, translating into an emotional response for the viewer.
It could be argued that Emin could not create artwork in any other language; the sentimentality of recounted stories relies on memory and the immediacy of recall which is most naturally accessed in the artist’s first language.
The ‘offering up’ of the artist’s personal experience is a theme, which reoccurs within confessional artwork, becoming a distinguished part of the artistic practice encouraging and gaining an emotive connection with the viewer by performing authenticity through the vocalisation of feelings, experiences and emotions through text, enabling a range of meanings for viewers within both, Calle and Emin’s practice. Unlike pictorial art, artwork which involves text does rely on the presumption that the viewer can read and understand the language in order to connect with the emotional discourse. One concern is of Anglo-Centricity, creating a language barrier based upon the secondary presumption that
Sophie Calle, who is French, writes and creates within her language but also provides translations to other languages. Take Care of Yourself, is translated into; braille, morse code, hexadecimal language, shorthand, binary form and as a barcode. The extensive representation of language is exemplary, but the delicacy of colloquial or shorthand annotations could become lost in translation, weakening the intensity of the response. Emin’s diary-like entries found within her mono print work, More Love Again, exemplify inner monologue, accessing her conscious mind and making immediate recordings through print. If the text were to be written in second or third person, the confessional aspect would be greatly diminished as Emin would no longer ‘own’ her own experience.
In Calle’s Take Care of Yourself, the professions of the 107 different women who participate, range from a crossword writer to a sexologist, each dissecting and digesting the email in a way, which comes naturally to them, creating a varied range of representation. The act of annotation therefore becomes a form of representation of the inner monologue. There is an overall importance on how text is presented. The use of handwriting contributes a personal and intimate element, which cannot be recreated through typography, revealing errors and imperfections, representing the private self through the intimacy of script. Although the issue of authenticity has been argued, the vulnerability conveyed through confessional artwork, retold or not, encourages an array of emotional responses to be created between the viewer and artwork, ultimately, allowing language to construct and uncover the self.
on the trust we place in data; all putting themselves in positions which manipulate that trust. Yambe Tam, whose work took that trust most literally, created Deep Dive.
Deep Dive felt like a performance, which I’m unsure how willing the So, you know how mindfulness is invigilators were to be involved in, a way to force yourself to relax? but it set the tone for a VR experience I know that’s dumbing it down, I’ve never quite had before. but stay with me. And you know how having your forehead wet So let’s start – I never fit VR headsets wiped before you’re strapped into properly, because my glasses don’t an incredibly heavy VR headset fit in them. So I either need to hold isn’t relaxing? Yeah – that normal them awkwardly, or experience feeling. I still don’t understand a colourful VR blur. I elected for how I left FACT feeling relaxed, holding them awkwardly at FACT, but the mini installation of their because it seemed important to see online exhibition, Uncertain stuff. Once I’d made that decision Data, just sort of baffled me into I was told to wet wipe my head meditation. (which was apparently for COVID safety, but I think the invigilator was I loved it by the way. I know I’m just offended by the sweat beads rambling, and it sounds like an odd from my power walk to the gallery). experience but that’s because it was. While cleaning my head, I was told The show is a celebration of what that the way to get the most from the mixed media really means now, experience was to try to fully relax, without ever really saying that. as sensors on the headset allowed I don’t think anyone can get me to sink deeper into the game the away with calling multiple paint lower my heart rate sank. techniques mixed media these days, because it’s been taken over by VR, digital, immersive installation and audio inserts into otherwise traditional art forms.
Then I realised how heavy the headset was. This was going to be a long slog, but I was determined, and by this point, utterly unrelaxed. So on went the headset, up went my Uncertain data is an exhibition by hands to hold it in place, and down four artists in residence, all focussed went my heart rate as I slowed my
^ Yambe Tam Deep Dive (2021). Installation view at FACT. Courtesy of the artist. ©Rob Battersby 8
Uncertain Data: a brief meditation at FACT
breathing, and just tried to go with it. Breathing slower, thinking less, it. It took a few minutes for me to go and caring less. Just sitting. anywhere, but once it began I was Because it had been such a labour addicted. I didn’t want to leave. intensive process to get there I felt Every so often a new light appeared like I was part of the work, and below me, pulling me through just as responsible for my own floating effervescent algae, past meditation as the artist. Which made sharks, whales, and shoals of fish. meant I walked out of FACT with The audio kind of pushed through my head held high, feeling like I’d the water in that hollow way it does worked somehow in collaboration when you’re washing your hair. with the artist, Yambe Tam, on my own mediation. I was completely involved, but still really ware of my glasses pressing on Of course, the skill was all hers, the bridge of my nose. So I stopped having created everything about myself again, and focussed on my it. The trust placed in her, in this breathing, and sunk down again into instance was actual, and lived by the game. her audience. A perfect summary of what FACT were aiming for with Another few minutes of sinking and Uncertain Data. I’d forgotten about my glasses, the headset, my arms, everything. -This was something outside of Words, Patrick Kirk-Smith mindfulness, and despite my head’s best attempts to stop me, I managed Uncertain Data runs at FACT until to sink into a genuinely deep 3rd OCtober meditation under the waves. I was lost for a while, and when I reached the end I just sat down, and enjoyed
^ Image: Installation view, Emily Speed: Flatland, 2021 at Tate Liverpool © Gareth Jones
Emily Speed: Flatland at Tate Liverpool During a conversation about the creative process, a poet friend of mine expressed the thought that out of struggle things get born that otherwise would not. He was alluding to something all artists know - that struggle is part of the process and can produce exciting, unexpected results. But attempting to bring a major, solo exhibition to fruition against a backdrop of pandemic lockdowns and restrictions … well, the usual challenges for all involved were taken to an unprecedented level. And yet, despite everything, here it is, only five months later than the original planned start date – Emily Speed: Flatland. Speed was the successful applicant of Tate Liverpool’s inaugural Art North West, an open call for artists based in the North West of England. Its aim
was to provide an opportunity for an artist or collective from the region to have their work represented at an internationally known art museum, along with access to 18 months’ of expertise and support from Tate’s staff. Back in November 2019, Speed expressed her delight at being selected: “I am really excited to start working on a project of this scale, which would be impossible without the support this opportunity offers. This feels like an incredibly significant moment for my practice and I plan to enjoy it to the fullest”. Knowing what happened to the world just a couple of months later, her words now have a rather poignant innocence. As she said at the recent launch of the show: “Everything changed. It did for everyone”. One thing remained a constant – the part of Speed’s practice that focuses on the relationships we have with architecture, with the spaces we inhabit, both inner and outer. This is what forms the narrative underpinning all the elements of
her show. She works in a variety of media, including film, sculpture, textile and performance, all of which are brought into play in Flatland.
gleefully points out the dangers of the Flatland Woman: “Being, so to speak, ALL point, at least at the two extremities. Add to this the power of making herself practically invisible Inspiration for the title and the work at will, and you will perceive that a came from a 19thcentury satire on Female, in Flatland, is a creature by Victorian society, where all existence no means to be trifled with”. is limited to two dimensions. Edwin Abbott’s novella epitomises the Is it too obvious a jump from this dictionary definition of satire - ‘Woman as Needle’ to the fact of where humour, irony, exaggeration, Speed’s Flatland having involved or ridicule is used to expose and so much sewing? Her elaborate, criticise people's stupidity or sometimes oversized, costumes, vices. The section dealing with the featured in the main film and as Victorian woman’s life is chillingly standing installations, also reflect reminiscent of how some of today’s garments that are most often patriarchal societies operate, so associated with women - utilitarian that it’s sometimes hard to hold housework items, including an onto the humour when reading it. apron, tabard, dressing gown and Thankfully, Speed’s Flatland offers a housecoats. They were made in lighter reflection on the issues raised, collaboration with her twin sister, though no less thought-provoking in Ruth Eaton, lecturer at Manchester its delivery. Fashion Institute and Creative Director of Spoon Studios. In Abbott’s satirical Flatland, men may have any number of sides Keeping it in the family, so to speak, depending on their status. Women, a second film features a solitary however, are thin straight lines with woman, her cousin, the author Eley points at both ends and are at the Williams. She wrote and performed bottom of the hierarchy. Abbott the text in British sign language,
^ (top left, top right, bottom left) Installation view, Emily Speed: Flatland, 2021 at Tate Liverpool © Gareth Jones / (bottom right) Emily Speed, Flatland, 2021 © Emma Dalesman describing a woman’s internal dialogue and relationship with her unseen neighbour upstairs. It offers a parallel to the main film but has a very different way of examining how we interact with both psychological and actual spaces.
is engrossed in her own space, in her own pleasure at what her body can do. But that said, it will pose an interesting challenge to some viewers - given that there’s still a lively, on-going debate as to whether pole dancing can ever be separated from its man-pleasing In Abbott’s Flatland the women’s strip club association, and instead single line appearance makes them be established as an empowering semi-invisible, so there is an edict sport for women. All to the good, instructing them to paint one end of course; one of art’s functions has of their line-body orange and to always been to challenge the status continuously sway their hips to alert quo. Meanwhile, the pole itself others (men) to their presence. Speed seemed to me to be a powerful, has brilliantly taken on this satire in playful visualisation/echo of the main film and it’s impossible Abbott’s straight-line women. not to start swaying along with the women as they move to the beat On entering the gallery space there of the music, an original electronic is a palpable sense of a stage having soundtrack by Michael CTRL. been set, that something is about to happen. The curating of the One of the performers in the film is costumes, in the films and in the Kirsty Tewnion, shown pole dancing gallery, reflects another of Speed’s with extraordinary contortions of influences, that of Japanese Kabuki her body, which require impressive theatre sets, which can be folded strength and flexibility. In the context and changed in different directions. of the film’s narrative her inclusion is One of the costumes has a set built clearly part of Speed’s examination into a fold down flap on the front, an of the relationship between people example of Speed’s fascination with and their environment; the woman architectural models. It’s striking
that this is the area of the solar plexus, which chakra therapists describe as the centre of personal power. Originally, the acting in Kabuki plays was only by women but at some point in the theatre’s history, women were prohibited and to this day only men perform Kabuki in Japan. Here, Speed has reclaimed its essence for women.
such opportunities are rare. And in a pre-pandemic podcast* with the Axisweb platform, Speed joined the discussion about how such difficulties are particularly true for women/mother artists: “It’s difficult to see how to carry on with it (her art practice) in a way, when there are so many profound problems in the way that the art world functions … once you have somebody else On a side wall is a painting from to look after, you want to use your Tate’s collection, which at first time differently … the single, biggest seems an incongruous inclusion, thing that arts organisations can do until one takes in the architectural for women/mother artists is to pay element of it, which chimes with them properly … the end.” Speed’s interests. The Corridor (1950) is by the Portuguese artist -Maria Helena Vieira da Silva, whose work depicting allegorical space has Words, Lorraine Bacchus long been an influence in Speed’s * The full Axisweb discussion about practice. Its inclusion here is, artists and parenthood can be heard therefore, an interesting addition to here: the exhibition but is not an integral www.axisweb.org/article/live-outpart of Speed’s Flatland. loud/parenthood Being selected for this inaugural Emily Speed: Flatland, Tate Art North West has given Speed an Liverpool, until 5th June 2022 opportunity to produce work without the usual financial constraints and worries that most artists face. But
Walter Sickert at the Walker
There is almost nothing you can’t learn about an artist from their paper. In Sickert’s case it was a compulsion to draw. He had a preference for paper that felt substantially handmade. It holds the ink better, and help I can’t help finding the Sickert exhibition define pencil lines, but chose mass produced a little bit funny, not because of its paper which mimicked the qualities of content, but because of its press. The week handmade sheets instead. Those pages were of its launch you could barely turn on the bound, and kept once they had been used. So news without local reporters stumbling we know there were likely hundreds of other over each other to tell you there was an drawings which didn’t get the same grace. exhibition by the suspected Jack the They’re lost now, but what we’re left with is Ripper opening at the Walker. selected work, curated by the artist as either There is almost no evidence for this. In fact, a series of working drawings, which were the majority of the evidence almost certainly drafted up into larger finished paintings, or proves he was not, and could not have been remained forever as ideas – paintings that the, or a, serial killer. And in the third room never happened.
life is led by a passion for learning. All of his work has clear influences of artists he met on his travels. So while the value, and importance of his work is spoken about by the Walker, it’s only by exploring his life that it becomes apparent. Where there are artists whose work was important for its own style, Sickert’s is important for its relationship to the styles of other artists.
It’s an art historical moment which led from one generation of artists into another, and a combined document of a life chasing a dream at a time where art was changing dramatically into something more like the art world we see today, with less global celebrities, and more jobbing artists creating careers around of the exhibition, in big letters on the wall, But for all his planning, all his preference, 9-5 jobs. is text that reads “Sickert was not Jack the Sickert was still impulsive, with many of the Ripper.” drawings sketched out on lined paper torn The tight corridors of the exhibition tell that story, and explain, in clear terms, the value of So let’s forget that myth, which has no doubt from exercise books, because, as the Walker this work to the Walker’s collection. contributed to the fame of the artist, and make an effort to tell us, Sickert didn’t find any fame as an artist until he was in his 60s. focus instead on the exhibition. -Prior to that he was a working actor, and later I’m a sucker for an exhibition that dedicates worked for Whistler as a studio assistant, Words, Kathryn Wainwright space to talk about materials. So I was giving his the opportunity to travel to Paris to thrilled with the passageway between the meet Degas, and see Manet’s studio up close. Sickert: A Life in Art continues at Walker Art Gallery until 22/02/22 major sections of the show, which focussed As a human being, more than as an artist, his on his drawings, his studio and his paper.
Space is The Place, Patric Rogers & Angelo Madonna at Convenience Gallery I said it last month and I’ll say it again – Convenience are making spaces for artists to do more, to try more. It’s special.
I’ve had the good fortune to have worked with Angelo (or sort of next to him), and I know the precision matters, but equally, I know the excitement of making these kinds of installations work. They’re as much a performance as they are an art work.
because it has to, or because it wants to. So much of the lived experience of artists for the last year has been hardship; financial, emotional, physical. And artists, in most cases, make work about their experience. So it’s unavoidable that lockdown will play a part in almost all new exhibitions for years to come, but in this case the show, while referencing it, doesn’t seem to rely on it entirely. Hilbre is a space of sanctuary regardless of our shared experiences. It’s one of the most special geographies we own in Merseyside. So isolation there feels therapeutic regardless.
The performance, which in this case is bodiless, anonymous, and kind of lonely, reflects on a year of collective bodiless, anonymous and lonely experience. Beginning from Patric Roger’s experience of lockdown, travelling regularly to Hilbre Island, and in turn, heightening his own aloneness, it shares an intimate reflection on a place which became critically important What makes a lot of sense though, is to the artist as a space to be alone, to be that anybody viewing this exhibition, with himself, and with the elements. whether they’ve been to Hilbre or not, will understand some of that sense of isolation The audio reflects on that connection to the artists are celebrating. the elements, and uses Angelo Madonna’s work to build the visceral sensory room -you’re left standing in to watch the film – which is somehow overexposed at the same Words, Patrick Kirk-Smith Pictures, Kathryn Wainwright time as being curiously dark.
Angelo Madonna and Patric Rogers have created something really outstanding. But mostly just playful. There’s some intricate experiments which seem like they’ve been toiling away in a lab to create this work. Testing the heights, the length of the pendulums, the thickness of the boards, and it all comes together into a something that just works. And by the point you’ve come to terms with the functionality of it, it stops mattering that there’s a fan in the corner, blowing the pendulum around. It’s part of I wonder though, whether this is an Space is The Place continues until 2nd the function of the work. exhibition which talks around lockdown October 2021
W O hat n ’s Current Exhibitions ArtHouse Gallery: Colour and Collage until 9th October No stranger to the local art scene, mixed media artist, Amanda ClarkPrice, will finally be stepping into the spotlight with her first solo exhibition that represents her own work in progress to date. Bluecoat: A Creative Community until 31st October Discover our 100 year history of being a home for artists and see inside the studios of the artists currently working in the building. As part of a new programme centred around the Bluecoat’s cultural legacies, a new exhibition, A Creative Community, will launch on 8th September 2021. Convenience Gallery: Space is the Place until 1st October Space is the Place is Patric Rogers in collaboration with Angelo Madonna’s deeply personal memoir to his most sacred of spaces, Hilbre Island. It is a cerebral exhibition project exploring the psychogeography of one of Wirral’s iconic landmarks. dot-art: Grasses, Trees, Flowers and Seas until 23rd October Seeing the summer out with a splash of colour, dot-art’s new exhibition Grasses, Trees, Flowers and Seas celebrates the natural beauty of the world around us through a collection of paintings by artists Hilary Dron & Steve Bayley.
FACT: Uncertain Data until 3rd October Uncertain Data brings together four artists in residence at FACT, whose work interrogates the trust we place in the data that governs us. Hardmans’ House: Agency of Women until 6th November Liverpool Art Prize-winner Tabitha Jussa presents Agency of Women, a collection of black and white and hand coloured portraits inspired by renowned Liverpool photographers E. Chambré and Margaret Hardman, the female workforce they employed and the women who had their portraits taken Hope Street: Very Public Art: From Now On until 6th October 2021 From Now On is an artwork consisting of 4 giant letters: H,O,P & E which have been filled with donated items that hold a personal ‘pandemic story’ to people from across the city. International Slavery Museum: Challenging histories: Collecting new artworks Permanent Display Contemporary artworks responding to the history of transatlantic slavery and its legacy International Slavery Museum: Lambeaux (scraps) by Gilles EliDit-Cosaque Permanent Display A moving journal, filled with personal and historical photographs, it’s also a Creole diary – not in a geographical sense, but rather a state of mind, referring to the concept of creolisation. Kirkby Gallery: 19th Knowsley Open Art Exhibition until 20th November Visitors to the exhibition have the opportunity to cast 2 votes on the same voting card for their favourite artworks on display National Museums Liverpool: Black History Month 1st-31st October A full listings pages for this programme can be found on page 9 Or visit www.liverpoolmuseums. org.uk/bhm
Liverpool City Centre: Statues Redressed until 1st October This summer, Sky Arts will follow a collection of inspiring artists in a unique project as they creatively reimagine some of Liverpool’s most iconic statues for Statues Redressed, giving them a whole new look by dressing them up or creating art around them. Museum of Liverpool: Liverpool 8 Against Apartheid until 1st February 2024 The story of how Liverpool’s Black community supported the antiapartheid campaign in the 1980s. Museum of Liverpool: COMING HOME: Jem Wharton until 9th January 2022 This portrait of 19th century boxer Jem Wharton by Liverpool artist William Daniels is on display in the Museum of Liverpool’s The People’s Republic gallery. OUTPUT Gallery: OUTPUT Painting Open 5 until 3rd October The OUTPUT Open is a regular part of our gallery programming – an opportunity to present an overview of creativity in the region through the practices of a group of emerging artists. Pink Sands Studio: Pause for Living – Spring/Summer until 3rd October Still lives, paintings and sculptural vignettes that attempt to capture a mixture of feelings and changeable emotions. St George’s Quarter: Very Public Art: Winds of Change until 5th October Winds of Change was commissioned by St George’s Quarter and designed by DoES Liverpool in collaboration with Simon Armstrong from Design Laser Play. Tate Liverpool: Lucian Freud: Real Lives until 16th January 2022 The first significant presentation of Lucian Freud (1922 – 2011) artworks in the North West in over thirty years.
Tate Liverpool: Artist Rooms: Louise Bourgeios in Focus until 16th January 2022 Louise Bourgeois (1911–2010) is widely recognised as one of the most important figures of modern and contemporary art. Her work ranges from large-scale sculpture and installation to painting and printmaking. Tate Liverpool: Democracies until 11th September 2022 This display brings together artworks that look at what it means to live in a democracy. A democratic society is based on equality, protecting each person’s individual rights. Tate Liverpool: Whose Tradition? until 11th September 2022 Different world cultures have always been a source of inspiration for many artists throughout history. Although this has led to important artistic developments, it is a complex story that has rarely been carried out on equal terms. Tate Liverpool: Aliza Nisenbaum until 15th September 2021 Discover how artist Aliza Nisenbaum depicts key workers from Liverpool in her new painting. Tate Liverpool: Emily Speed until 11th October 2021 Speed’s practice considers how a person is shaped by the buildings they have occupied and how a person occupies their own psychological space. The Atkinson: Captain Pugwash & Friends: The TV and book creations of John Ryan until 28th December 2021 The exhibition includes examples of John Ryan’s artwork for the Eagle as well as graphics for other successful TV animations including ‘Captain Pugwash’, ‘The Adventures of Sir Prancelot’ and ‘Mary, Mungo and Midge’ The Atkinson: Natural High until 19th March 2022 Reconnect with nature in this contemplative exhibition of British landscape scenery from The Atkinson’s fine art collection.
The Atkinson: Paul Kenny: Seaworks until 23rd October Working without a camera, Paul Kenny creates abstract compositions on small glass plates with objects found on beaches and crystallised sea water. The Royal Standard: BlackFest 2021: Gold Maria Akanbi until 2nd October Gold is a British-Nigerian, neurodiverse multidisciplinary artist based in both Liverpool and Greater London. Though in recent times she has been more involved with performance art, her work integrates a wide range of disciplines The World of Glass: Rapture until 9th October Andrew Alan Johnson’s colourful and textured paintings will bring a smile to your face. This internationally sold artist finds joy in nature and manages to capture that on the canvas. The World of Glass: Lazy Gazes until 5th November Nancy Collantine is in our Gallery 3 with her exhibition Lazy Gazes, Tense Edges. Whether we are inside looking out, or outside looking in, Nancy Collantine’s paintings and installations, encased in margins, edges and frames, offer a patchwork of possibilities that spill out over the edges of wobbly grids. The World of Glass: Evolution until 5th November John Charles showcases his fabulous style in this massive collection of his paintings. Portraits, landscapes and abstract pieces come together in this vibrant and exciting show. It won’t disappoint. Victoria Gallery & Museum: The Art of Ruin until 11th June 2024 There are strands of Italian landscape painting which celebrate the ruinous and crumbling. It was a taste that emerged in Rome in the mid-1600s when visiting archaeological sites and collecting ancient artefacts became popular.
Victoria Gallery & Museum: A New Beauty until 15th June 2023 A display exploring the evolving ways that physical attractiveness was depicted from the late 1800s.
Upcoming Exhibitions Bluecoat Display Centre: In the Window: Sophie Longwill 1st-31st October These sculptural glass vessels are inspired by beautiful skies and mindful moments on my lockdown walks. As I live in the city centre of Cork, the sky is a way to connect with nature in an urban environment. Bluecoat Display Centre: Halima Cassell and Emma Rodgers 1st October - 13th November This exhibition brings together for the first time two of most accomplished women sculptors from the North West; Halima Cassell and Emma Rodgers. Both artists have achieved national and international recognition through their work, which although completely different, both capture a dynamic sense of movement through their work. There are also many parallels in terms of their highly successful career paths. Lady Lever Art Gallery: Sublime Symmetry 1st October - 9th January Famed for richly coloured, lustrous glazed tiles and pottery with birds and dragon decoration, De Morgan’s work is beautiful and iconic. But, behind the fantastical beasts which wrap themselves around De Morgan’s vases and the fanciful flora which meanders across his tiles, there is a rigorously planned mathematical structure.
Walker Art Gallery: Charles Shannon and Charles Ricketts until 30th September 2021 Four artworks – one painting, two delicate drawings and one lithograph – explore some of the people, ideas and themes that influenced their work.
Walker Art Gallery: Holo Programme 155 Permanent Display Holo Programme 155, by Liverpool artist Frances Disley (born 1976), is a new acquisition for the Walker Art Gallery’s collection. The installation takes inspiration from Star Trek’s ‘Holodeck’.
The Royal Standard: VaRt – An Exhibition by 4Wings 4th-10th October, 9:30-3:30 VaRt sends the visitor on an emotional odyssey of virtual reality art and contemporary paintings inspired by the lived experiences of people from diverse cultures and backgrounds.
Bluecoat: Rosa-Johan Uddoh: Practice Makes Perfect 16th October - 23rd January Practice Makes Perfect is focused on childhood education in Britain. Rosa Uddoh looks at how schooling forms an early understanding of what it means to be British, but also at what within this is marginalised or left out. Responding to current debates about Black history within the National Curriculum, Uddoh has approached creating new work for this exhibition as therapeutic ‘wish fulfilment’ in a time of uncertainty and tension.
OUTPUT Gallery: OUTPUT Video Open 5 7th-24th October These artists, who are all at different stages in their career, will showcase the breadth of skill and invention that our region’s art scene can provide in both traditional and new media. While the artists were not selected with any theme in mind, much of the work shares an interest in narrative and a strong sense of place. Bridewell Studios: Painting Doesn’t Count 8th-22nd October Painting Doesn’t Count features the work of three artists at a similar point in their careers. Having completed, or currently working towards the completion of practice based PhDs, Quin, Bracey and O’Toole’s exhibition marks the first in a series of exhibitions, publications and proposed conferences that examine the relations between Art and Time. The Amorous Cat Gallery, Lark Lane: Women of Lark Lane 14th-24th October Containing the work of: Nina Sara Canter, Sue Banks, Linda Mooney and Jan Sear, at The Amorous Cat Gallery. Open from 10.30 a.m. 5.30p.m. daily. Oils, watercolours, mixed media and maritime art.
Tate Liverpool: Lucy McKenzie 20th October - 13th March Join Tate Liverpool for the first UK retrospective of Glasgowborn, Brussels-based artist Lucy McKenzie (b. 1977). The exhibition brings together over 80 works dating from 1997 to the present. Visitors can enjoy large-scale architectural paintings, illusionistic trompe l’oeil works, as well as fashion and design. FACT: Future Ages Will Wonder 28th October - 20th February Larry Achiampong and David Blandy, Yarli Allison, Miku Aoki, Trisha Baga, Breakwater, Ai Hasegawa and Boedi Widjaja. From microcellular DNA to the proliferation of digital images, throughout all of time we have used science and technology to collect and share information about who we are. Discoveries have been made, patterns have been formed, and stories have been told, but always by those in power.
To find out more about each of these events head to: www.artinliverpool.com/current-exhibitions
Events & Workshops National Museums Liverpool: Black History Month 1st-31st October A full listings pages for this programme can be found on page 9 Or visit www.liverpoolmuseums. org.uk/bhm Metal Liverpool: Genderland: Drag up Your Life workshop by The Spice Boys (aka Mooncup Theatre) 1st October, 5-8:30pm Join Mooncup’s resident Drag Kings The Spice Boys for a dragtastic workshop and optional promenade BOOK (£15): www. eventbrite.co.uk/o/mooncuptheatre-16814390556 Convenience Gallery: Birkenhead International Film Festival presents Animation 2nd October, 3-11pm The theme of this year’s festival will be Animation. The event will take place from 3pm onwards and will involve workshops, food, drinks and of course films. BOOK (donation): www. eventbrite.com/o/conveniencegallery-25167257177 Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral: Genderland: Drag Promenade 2nd October, 12-1pm Join Mooncup’s resident Drag Kings The Spice Boys for dragged up promenade through Liverpool City Centre BOOK (Free): www. eventbrite.co.uk/o/mooncuptheatre-16814390556 Quarry: Genderland Cabaret 2nd October, 7-11pm Our weird and wonderful Genderland cabaret! Join us for an evening of entertainment as our queer creatives take their time to shine. BOOK (£9-11): www. eventbrite.co.uk/o/mooncuptheatre-16814390556
Bluecoat: dot-art: Abstract Painting Course (3 x Sundays) Starts 3rd October, 11:30am Learn how to create expressive and colourful abstract art. Suitable for newcomers and for more experienced painters wanting to try something new and exciting. BOOK (£125): 0345 017 6660 Bluecoat: dot-art: Life Drawing Course Starts 3rd October, 11:30am Sarah Jane Richards leads a programme of lessons to develop your skills in life drawing, including accurate measuring, shading and drawing techniques. BOOK (£125): 0345 017 6660 FACT: dot-art: Digital Embroidery Course Starts 3rd October, 12pm Introducing Inkscape will teach you how to use this popular open source software to develop designs for embroidery machines. Inkscape is ubiquitous among the maker community, used to create designs for a range of digital workshop tools. BOOK (£125): 0345 017 6660 Sefton Park Palm House: Botanical Prints on Paper 4th October, 5-9pm Botanical Prints on Paper, led by @ bymaggienaturally BOOK (£45): www. bymaggienaturally.co.uk The Reader: dot-art: Textile Arts Course Starts 4th October, 6pm Suitable for complete beginners who are new to textile arts as well as those looking to experiment with more advanced projects. BOOK (£175): 0345 017 6660 FACT: dot-art: Drawing Techniques Course Starts 4th October, 6:45pm No matter what medium you enjoy using, be it paint, pastel or clay, learning the fundamental drawing techniques will further develop your natural drawing ability. BOOK (£160): 0345 017 6660
The Reader: dot-art: Landscape Painting Course Starts 5th October, 2pm This course will provide an opportunity to explore landscape in paint. Through a series of quick experimental pieces and more finished works, the course will walk you through the process of developing your own unique visual response to the landscape. BOOK (£160): 0345 017 6660 Metal Liverpool: Genderland: Exploring the Gender Spectrum Panel 5th October, 6pm A panel discussion hosting voices from across the gender spectrum. Confirmed panellists so far include; Arthur Britney Joestar, Maral Svendsen, Connor Simkins, Connie Bostock from Liverpool Sisterhood and Kelly Stubbs. Panellists will discuss their personal experiences and understanding of gender. BOOK (Free): www. eventbrite.co.uk/o/mooncuptheatre-16814390556 FACT: dot-art: Portrait Drawing Course Starts 5th October, 6:45pm Learn the fundamentals of drawing characterful portraits in this 10 week course led by tutor Kathy Dereli. BOOK (£160): 0345 017 6660 Metal Liverpool: Genderland: Gender and Language Day with Lotte Verheijen and Raphael Moore 6th October, 5pm Liverpool University’s Lotte Verheijen and Poet Raphael Moore bring a gendered language double bill that’s not to be missed. BOOK (£16): www. eventbrite.co.uk/o/mooncuptheatre-16814390556 Unity Theatre: Liverpool Life Drawing 7th, 14th & 28th October, 5:30pm Liverpool Life Drawing is back for a series of seven Thursday sessions at Unity Theatre No booking: £8 on the door
Metal Liverpool: Genderland: What is a Safe Space? Exploration Day 8th October, 5-9pm Join Mooncup Theatre in collaboration with Homotopia’s ‘Safe and Visible’ project where we wonder and ponder ‘What is a Safe Space?’ and how we can create a safe and visible future for LGBTQIA+ people in Liverpool. BOOK (donation): www. eventbrite.co.uk/o/mooncuptheatre-16814390556 Metal Liverpool: Genderland: Festival Finale with DJ Campbell L Sangster 8th October, 9pm-late Help us round off Genderland Festival with our finale disco! Joined by local Liverpool DJ and singer/songwriter: Campbell L Sangster, let’s boogie the night away to cap off a fantastic celebration of all things gender! BOOK (£5): www. eventbrite.co.uk/o/mooncuptheatre-16814390556 Collective Encounters (Online): TRAINING: Trauma Informed Practice for Participatory Artists 14th October, 11am-1:30pm Training for participatory arts facilitators and practitioners in trauma informed practice BOOK (£16): www. eventbrite.co.uk/o/collectiveencounters-8543426266 Convenience Gallery: Convenience Life Drawing 19th October., 8:30-8:30pm Convenience Gallery CIC host a monthly life drawing session. This takes place in the bar/ coffeeshop at Bloom too, so you can get a drink whilst you work on your drawings. BOOK (£12): www. eventbrite.com/o/conveniencegallery-25167257177 Bluecoat: A Creative Community Across Merseyside 26th Oct, 6pm (Online) What role do artists’ studios play in our creative community and what is their future? Online panel discussion with artists, studios and spaces reflecting on the role of the artist’s studio and what artists need to survive. BOOK (Free): www.thebluecoat. org.uk
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bs Jo Ceramics Designer and Projects Lead, Granby Workshop Permanent, Full-time £29,000 per year We are currently seeking an experienced ceramics designer and producer to oversee our external project design and production process. DEADLINE: 6th October APPLY: www.granbyworkshop. co.uk/jobs Artistic Director & CEO, Metal Culture The role is full time and the successful candidate has the option of being based at any of our three sites: Edge Hill Station (Liverpool), Chauffeurs Cottage (Peterborough), Chalkwell Hall (Southend on Sea). DEADLINE: 11th October APPLY: www.metalculture.com/ get-involved/vacancies Writing Development Manager, WoW Fest Salary – £23,000 Want to help share people’s stories? Want to unlock people’s creative potential? Want to change lives? Then this job is for you. We are hiring a Writing Development Manager who will lead our acclaimed writing centre, The Writer’s Bloc. DEADLDINE:3rd October 2021 APPLY: www.writingonthewall.org. uk/work-with-wow
Marketing Manager, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic We are seeking to appoint a Marketing Manager on a full-time contract for an initial period of 6 months. The principal role will be to market concerts and events at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, with a particular focus on the classical music programme. DEADLINE: 7th October APPLY: www.liverpoolphil.com/ about-us/careers IT Technician, The Reader Organisation This role will provide extra resilience for The Reader’s IT Team while we introduce a new team structure. You’ll bring your experience of IT hardware and software to the role to make sure key tasks get achieved to time, and that our systems keep up with emerging requirements from colleagues, site users and other stakeholders. DEADLINE: 8th October APPLY: www.thereader.org.uk Head of Production & Technical Services, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic This role will ensure an outstanding experience for all artists, promoters, external hirers, partners and audiences, presenting over 400 concerts and events every year across music genres, comedy, film and education at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall and the Music Room. DEADLINE: 15th October APPLY: www.liverpoolphil.com/ about-us/careers
For applicants: Jobs & Calls are submitted and collated from around the North West, and edited into short briefs for this newspaper. Head to www.artinliverpool.com/opportunities to find full details on how to apply.
Advisory Board Members Vacancies for St Helens Library Service’s Arts in Libraries Programme (Voluntary) Cultural Hubs is an award-winning Arts in Libraries programme. It was voted Best Arts Project in the people’s National Lottery Awards in 2016 and continues to grow in strength, ambition and popularity, engaging over 20,300 audiences in the arts since becoming an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation. DEADLINE: 4th October APPLY: b.link/ ArtsInLibsAdvisoryBoard
Mentors, Arts Emergency Arts Emergency are looking for arts, humanities and creative industries professionals who could mentor a young person without connections.Professionals and young people will join the charity’s award winning mentoring programme designed to increase the proportion of people from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds creating culture. DEADLINE: Rolling APPLY: www.arts-emergency.org
Potter (freelance), Grizedale Arts This is a rare opportunity to take a creative role in a small but internationally-acclaimed arts Football Art Prize, Touchstones organisation, with the potential to Rochdale extend and develop. We’re seeking a new open call opportunity for a freelance potter to join the team artists. To coincide with 2022 World at our new initiative, the revival of cup year Touchstones Rochdale, The Farmer’s Arms inn in the Lake with generous support from Arts District. Council England, have created The DEADLINE: 4th October Football Art Prize to celebrate art APPLY: https://www.grizedale.org/ and football. Artists over the age of opportunities/potter-freelance 18 working in all two dimensional Engaging Barrow: OPEN CALL mediums including photography for artists/companies, Barra and moving image will be eligible. Culture DEADLINE: 19th November As part of Barra Culture’s 2021APPLY: https://footballartprize. 22 ‘Engaging Barrow’ artists-inartopps.co.uk/ residence programme, this is an Ly²: Artist or Designer for Public OPEN CALL for 4 communityRealm, Cheshire East Council engaged artists/companies working £25,000 fee in any art form(s). Cheshire East Council is seeking to DEADLINE: 18th October 2021 appoint a visual artist or designer APPLY: https://barraculture.org.uk/ to create the look and feel of a new public space. Ly² is a project to redevelop Lyceum Square, Crewe. DEADLINE:15th October APPLY: creweculturalforum@ cheshireeast.gov.uk
For recruiters: To submit creative opportunities, email info@artinliverpool.com Please be clear about rates of pay, and deadlines for application in your email. We do not promote unpaid work unless it is clear in its intentions.