Published on Tuesday, February 9, 2010 .
Really enjoyed these images from Liverpool photographer Stephen King, featuring photographs taken in Lewis’s Department Store in Liverpool, one of the UK’s oldest and most iconic department stores a building sadly shut down and hidden since the early 1980s.
What a cracking idea, I wish I’d thought of it! The still life images work better for me, some terrific compositions. The project has it’s own website www.lewissfifthfloor.com (though it’s a bit slow to load) and there are quite a few images over on Stephen’s site.
I remember, as a Wirral girl born and bred, it was a big treat to be taken over to Lewis’s on a Saturday for a shopping expedition. I particularly remember the broken biscuit department was a highlight.
Dates: 26th February to 30th August 2010, Lewis’s Fifth Floor: A Department Story at Liverpool’s National Conservation Centre.
Published on Thursday, November 26, 2009 .
Over the summer I watched in wonder as my sunflower grew skywards. Inch by inch it became taller than my new rowan tree and then one day in the high winds my Heath Robinson string support system collapsed, leaving my sunflower dangling like a high jumpers pole. Since it’s glory days, the head has been quietly crisping up nicely inside my house. I kept it, because it was still inspirational.
Published on Tuesday, March 17, 2009 in 2009,
Architecture,
Garden Design,
Living Roof,
art,
artist,
bbc,
culture,
environment,
environmentally-friendly,
gardens,
green,
sedum roof,
sustainable living and
tv programmes uk .
from the BBC website:
Last year Joe Swift described how back gardens are being sold for development, reducing the amount of green space that oxygenates our cities and soothes our troubled souls. But instead of beating his chest and saying how terrible this is, he heads off to discover how to grow gardens where land is scare. In France, he visits the Parisian botanist Patrick Blanc’s famous hanging gardens, which use an ingenious irrigation system to grow plants on vertical walls. In the UK, he meets one man who has cultivated a jungle on his balcony, and another who has a garden of succulents growing on the dashboard of his van. He also meets Nigel Dunnett from Sheffield University, who is an expert on green roofs – a way of turning the humble house roof into a demi-paradise; an industry that is booming.
This Special Gardeners World show will be broadcast this coming Friday, March 20th 2009 on BBC Two @ 8pm, definitely one not to miss!
For more information on Patrick Blanc and his amazing work with Vertical Gardens read my post from last year here.
Published on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 in 2009,
Art Commission,
New York Times,
Show,
art,
artist,
artists collective,
creative,
culture,
emerging,
event,
exhibition,
galleries,
illustration,
manchester,
museum,
photography,
preview,
project,
talent and
uk .
The appetite for owning original works of art has grown steadily over recent years. Maybe because it is one way to make a house feel individual in these times of flatpack ubiquity. A well-chosen piece of art can reflect a chink of character of the owner and prompt a smile or moment of pause in the thick of our busy lives. No bad thing at all and not something that often happens with a Billy Bookcase.
I’ve been asked the question a few times this year “Where can I buy affordable original art?”. As I am based in Manchester my answer is somewhat limited but here are the options that I know about in my locality:-
- ArTzu Gallery on Ancoats near the Art Deco Express Building.
- Artland Gallery under the Quaker Meeting House opposite Central Library, Manchester. An exciting new venue which ran a stunning exhibition of Jan Chlebik’s cityscape photography recently, latest exhibition is by New York Times photographer Christoph Bangert (see image above).
- Blyths art gallery central Manchester.
- Castlefield Gallery close to Deansgate Metro Station.
- Colin Jellicoe Portland Street, Manchester.
- Comme Ca Art various spots including upstairs at the prestigious Lowry Hotel, Salford/Manchester border.
- Cornerhouse Projects (downstairs in the bar) close to Oxford Road Station, Manchester.
- Cube Gallery (architectural related work) see upcoming exhibiton from award-winning photographer John Davies.
- Islington Mill, Salford/Manchester border. Growing artists collective with studios and galleries, often special previews & shows.
- The Lowry, Salford/Manchester border. Has occasional exhibitions and work for sale from artists (often local).
- Manchester Craft and Design Centre Favourite spot for emerging work, textiles, painting, photography …. all sorts.
- Mooch Art new venture in Northern Quarter plus online gallery selling mostly local artists; painting and photography.
- Revolve Gallery partnered up with Mooch Art earlier this year, nice gallery space in the Triangle, Manchester City Centre.
- Richard Goodall Gallery Northern Quarter, mostly illustration and photography linked with music promotion and posters, had Leonard Cohen’s work on show last year.
- Waterside Arts Centre (Sale) nice Gallery space featuring local artists all media from painting, photography through to mixed meda and between.
- Wendy Levy Gallery very respected Gallery based in West Didsbury top notch artists represented here including Liam Spencer.
Finally, just in case you find galleries a little intimidating, then you might want to check out a new event on the calender, it’s the Buy Art Fair 24-27 Sept 2009 which enjoyed a very special inaugural launch last year with 3,200 visitors and over 200 artists on display, well staged at the nice, light and airy Urbis, Manchester. Never spend more than the price of a new sofa, prove your skill at spotting new talent, support creativity and art, make your home original and breathtaking and you never know you might make some money on it too!
UPDATE : For an alternative take, check out a great blog run by a New York Gallery owner Ed Winkleman. His blog is a really useful place to pick up terrific candid advice on the art world, the nitty gritty of running a Fine Art gallery and to see how sales are going on the other side of the pond.
scatterdrum is a personal blog by Gill Moore. Gill is a professional photographer based in Manchester in England.
She works for commercial and editorial clients together with shooting personal projects. This side of her work often includes exhibiting, publishing and working with like-minded collaborators on an environmental theme.
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