Imperial War Museum North

The Imperial War Museum North, built in 2002, boasts striking architecture whilst settled on the waterfront of Quay West in Manchester. The architect, Daniel Libeskind, wanted to reflect how wars have shattered our earth. Although we have always recovered from them, the broken pieces fit back together but not perfectly, stating that things will not be the same. The early 1900’s are fascinating. The society, the fashion and the whole industrial movement was influenced massively during WWI.

The interior layout and design of the gallery creates a heavy atmosphere and will make your thoughts and feelings conflict with one another. I felt fear and intimidation as well as empathy and respect for the people that had to cope with day to day life during the war. The constant noise of bombs and sirens contrasted between the sound of general chit chat and children running and playing. The lighting partnered with the eerie soundtrack playing all around. Apart from the lights from the artwork and display cabinets, the area was dark and claustrophobic. I don’t mean this to be a bad thing, it is good in which the museum really have successfully created a space which allows you to feel just a fraction of what people of that era felt.

A large oil painting painted by Anne Airy in 1918 depicted the atmosphere of wartime industry. The eye-catching canvas marries perfectly with the sound of churning furnaces playing from the speakers dotted around the room, literally bringing the painting to life. The vibrant oil colours reflected the heat coming from the huge furnaces. The image is of the Armstrong-Whitworth Works, a factory in Openshaw, Manchester. The workers are making the barrel of an 18-inch gun, one of the largest used by British forces.

Another piece I saw was an illustration of 3 women in various uniforms named ‘The Three Sisters.’ Painted in 1917 by Edmund Dulac, it shows the roles woman had during WWI and how they had become unified. I noticed there was a significant focus on women and their own struggles; there is a great deal of photography and artwork revolving around the suffragettes and their protests.

To conclude this short review, I only focus on a fraction of what this museum has to offer. As it works to give you a true experience, you won’t be deprived of what it has to offer.

The Lowry Gallery

The Lowry Gallery, dedicated to the man himself, is always one I would never tire of visiting. The Lowry Gallery is a small, modest space that commits itself to exhibiting his work all year round. I’m afraid this review may appear, to say the least, pretty bias as I admire L.S. Lowry sincerely. Growing up in the industrial North West of England, his influences are clear in his paintings and sketches. The location of The Lowry Gallery is delightful, right the waterfront on Salford Quays.

He is most famously known for his ‘Matchstick Men’ in paintings such as ‘Going to the Match’ (1928.) The painting is exhibited in the gallery and depicts a crowd of people arriving at Burnden Park to watch Bolton Wanderers.

Personally, his work has always influenced me, not only because I’m from Bolton, North West England, but because I feel like I relate to him. He may be best known for his Matchstick Men and peculiar characters, but the gallery also boasts a collection of detailed and analytical portraits, proving he is in fact a profound painter. For example, the ‘Man in the Bowler Hat’ (undated) is a great deal less detailed than ‘Portrait of a Man Looking Right’ (1914). Nonetheless each portrait can be equally respected.

The Gallery is fascinating to look around, both for locals and visitors to the area. For us locals, it gives us a great sense of pride that our industrial heritage has been stored in such a way. My sister and I had great pleasure scoping through the space, analysing each painting, seeing if we recognise any buildings or landscapes. For visitors, it gives a clear insight on what l typical life was like for people.

The oil paintings with the Matchstick Men reflect not only standard life in the North West roughly from 1920 through to 1960, but also the drabness. The use of colour, or should I say lack of, reflects the smoggy atmosphere caused by the chimneys from the mills and factories. As well as this, a great deal of his characters commonly wore dreary, uninteresting clothes.

Overall, The Lowry Gallery is an endearing gallery to visit for anyone interested in the industrial culture between early and late 1900’s. He honourably portrays society and its surroundings in the Northwest during this time and this, I personally respect 

The Yorkshire Sculpture Park Review

The Yorkshire Sculpture park was established in the 1970’s on the land of an 18^th century estate and boasts sculptures from well-known artists such as Antony Gormley and Tracey Emin. Not only do people visit to see the sculptures; but also to admire the surrounding greenery. It is a great day out, giving me the opportunity to sit and appreciate artwork under blue skies accompanied by my sketchbook.

I do not specialise in sculpting nor am I at all good at it if I tried, however I am a big fan of Antony Gormley and never tire from looking at his rustic pieces. His piece, ‘One & Other,’ stands high above at the entrance. My first impression was fear. I am uncomfortable with heights however I also fear objects that are a great deal taller than me. I learnt that it in fact reflects Gormley’s own fears; isolation and claustrophobia. The shape of the figure brought the intended feeling of claustrophobia, imitating a fly wrapped in a spiders’ spun silk. The true purpose of the morphed shape of the sculpture however is to make the figure universal.

Another favourite of mine was ‘Little Girl’ by Lynn Chadwick, a series of sculptures, one of which I’m glad I spotted amongst the trees. The sculpture is of an abstract figure of a woman, sat peacefully on a bench. The triangular-shaped head, I learnt, is typical of Chadwick’s designs of the female form. I found that my interest in this particular piece linked to my interest in Gormley’s art. I adore rustic features and mechanical design, probably from my love of steampunk novels and all things dark and industrial.

As mentioned in my introduction, the Yorkshire Sculpture Park gives visitors more than artwork to look at. During my visit, I sat in a scenic spot (one of many) and people-watched whilst reminiscing about the day I’d had. Starting from arriving in the morning with a bag of chips from the nearby village, strolling through the afternoon watching frogs swimming in ponds, climbing trees and following sheep, until early evening sat in my chosen spot – I conclude.

The Yorkshire Sculpture Park is a 24/7 exhibition suitable for anyone, regardless whether you enjoy art or not. Not even the whole day gave me enough time to appreciate everything it has to offer, I look forward to visiting again!

Sarah Lucas Exhibition @ Whitworth Art Gallery

Whitworth Art Gallery is located in Whitworth Park amongst the University of Manchester and opened in 1908. The interior design is light and spacious, perfect to really take in the surrounding pieces on show.

I entered the gallery with a broad mind, uncertain on what to expect. I hadn’t researched what was on prior to arriving and artist Sarah Lucas reminded me that the possibilities really are endless. My first initial thought when walking into her exhibition was ‘Tracey Emin’ and I wasn’t far off. After reading a bit about her, I learnt that she and Emin were friends who owned an art shop in 1993.

Sarah Lucas’s work reflects everything about the advance in confessional and expressive art in the 90’s.

Installations like the one at Whitworth Gallery bares questions in a lot of the public’s minds such as, ‘what is the point?’ and ‘how can this be called art?’ In fact, my partner who accompanied me said just that! Her art, including that exhibited, has a strong aesthetic of sex and relationships. Lucas reveals concern about how we visualise the body, how society stereotypes gender and the problems implicated from this. In my opinion, I understand why some people make these statements about this category of installation art. However, when you see it in front of you, you gain some appreciation. It creates conversation and healthy debate whilst opening minds to look at issues in a different light; or perhaps just gaining interest in someone else’s opinion of them.

With roughly 10 pieces installed, 1 stood out for me. ‘The Stinker’ consists of an imitation of oddly shaped legs spread out across a chair whilst a much bigger phallic cigarette sculpture sits between them. To me, it represents obtrude and obnoxious attitudes males have towards sex. My interpretation concerning the use of cigarettes is that they’re used to reflect her view on men, or perhaps that’s just a thought from my own experiences. Cigarettes in my view are dirty and unattractive and after reading a study from the Tate website about The Stinker, I found that this is the correct interpretation. 

Interestingly however, the knowledge that Lucas commonly uses cigarettes to reflect cravings and pleasure creates a whole different meaning for the installation.

Although I could go on, I conclude, to allow a bit of mystery towards the rest of this exhibition as it is one to visit. 

The Scottish Drawing Exhibition @ the Royal Scottish Academy

After an exhausting day it’s always pleasant to unwind and totter around a nearby exhibition. The Scottish Drawing Exhibition at the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh is definitely perfect for spending time doing some light observing. It’s a shame you can’t photograph the amazing work because I wish I could share it however I will do my best at explaining which pieces stood out to me and why.

Point and Click game 'Machinarium' by 

                Admiring the vast array of work whilst I strolled from room to room, a lot of pieces caught my eye. One piece in particular was a piece called ‘Drawings for Sculpture 1989 – 92’ by the artist Doug Cocker. The collection of images a plan for a sculpture he is/was working on. The grungy, tinny, rustiness of each one was something I admired. They reminded me of a game created by Amanita Design, everything from the colour palette to the concept, are extremely similar. After researching more on Doug Cocker, I learnt that he is in fact a successful sculptor. Looking at his 3D work, I am in love with his Grotesque Head. It is interesting to see his obvious relationship with industrial design relating so between beautiful illustrations to ginormous rustic sculptures.

                

Basin Summer Rain - Ian McKenzie Smith
(Similar to work exhibited)

      In contrast to this, there was a piece that grabbed my attention for all the wrong reasons. I love that in the world of Art and Design there is no right or wrong answer in terms of a concluded piece of work. Yet a piece by artist Ian McKenzie Smith called ‘Chanonry Lodge 1957’ bewildered me slightly. To me, it prompted thoughts of spare paper I use to wipe my brushes on after washing them. I respect that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I appreciate anyone who created work because there is always an explanation behind it. My personal opinion has always been the same in terms of contemporary art however sometimes I do find myself contradicting myself. Let’s just say this piece definitely challenged my thought process!

As a whole, my experience whilst walking round the exhibition was a pleasant and educational one. If I could write about them all I would as there were some fantastic pieces that inspired me. One thing I learnt is that art is extremely variable, as stated before there is no right and wrong, the beauty of it is finding the confidence to make it your own.

Judy's Affordable Vintage Fair

Being a fan of all things vintage and (more importantly) all things cheap, I anticipated Judy’s Affordable Vintage Fair would be a wonderful event to attend. I am enthusiastic about not only vintage items, but also second hand clothes in general. It is simply the knowledge that I am investing my money into something I know is reliable. I am also a sucker for a good designer label.

                I will start by saying that the garments, jewellery and other goodies were overall a pleasure to look through. It’s a good job I enjoy browsing as unfortunately, in my opinion, a vast amount of the items were overpriced. I appreciate that some of these items were as old as my Nan and in great condition however from experience I know I could find something similar a great deal cheaper. As I gazed across to the jewellery, I couldn’t help but witness a stall owner debating with numerous potential buyers about the price of her stock. Her jewellery was lovely but I’m glad I wasn’t the only one noticing the contradictive use of ‘Affordable’ in the event title.

                On a more positive note, all of the stalls were an absolute joy to look through, indulging the raw musty smell as I moved along. The event was in Freemasons Hall in Manchester, popular for holding banquets and weddings. Its popularity is due to the beautiful interior design, including huge marble pillars and grand ceilings. Built in 1912, it complimented the antiquity of the occasion massively.

                One item that court my eye especially was a collar/scarf entirely made from the whole body of an arctic fox, (yes, entirely) eyes, nose and nails all included. I understood that it was an old piece but there was something disturbing about it. Perhaps it made me think of my cat when he got ran over or maybe because I think foxes are adorable. Come to think of it, I recall it looked extremely hideous and disfigured. Grimacing as I curiously touched it, I wondered who would buy such a thing, but then again what a waste it would be if it was thrown away.

                Overall, regardless of the fact that I left with my purse no lighter than when I arrived, it was a really interesting experience. Tea and cake along with an opportunity to indulge into racks and rails of history was definitely worth the trip.