Finding Solitude – Exhibition of...

Claire Weetman presents a collection of drawings of chairs that invite you to sit down, but that time to rest alone is just out of reach.

This collection of pencil drawings, created by Claire in 2023 and 2024, began by thinking about how time alone either physically or mentally is difficult to achieve as a parent. Chairs are perched precariously on branches or balanced on top of a tottering tower of bins that need emptying. The chairs are inviting, you’d quite enjoy that seat for yourself, but ultimately, all of these chairs and their offer of rest are unusable.

The drawings are exhibited in the Coffee Stop cafe, St Mary’s Market, St Helens. The works will be part of an online exhibition during March 2024.

Event

St Mary’s Market is open Monday to Saturday 9am-5pm. There is step-free access to the market.

Lost at Sea! Raffles and the wildlife ...

When the East Indiaman ship the Fame sank 200 years ago, Sir Stamford Raffles’ vast collections of natural history specimens and drawings from Sumatra and Singapore were lost forever.

Raffles, a British East India Company official, found fame as the ‘founder’ of modern Singapore. He is also known as the founder of London Zoo and for the ‘discovery’ of Rafflesia, the giant flower of Sumatra.

Why was Raffles collecting animals and plants in Southeast Asia, and how did some birds collected for Raffles end up in Liverpool?

In One Place

“In One Place” is the first ever exhibition by Liverpool street artist, Paul Curtis and it will take place in the very building that inspired his now iconic “For All Liverpool’s Liver Birds”, aka “The Wings”.

Paul has worked with Arts Producer and Curator, Laura McCann to deliver an interactive event that will not only showcase Paul’s existing murals but also offer a range of activities, including Paul painting new artworks live. One of two new freestanding pieces created will then be auctioned and the other will be the prize in a draw, with100% of the proceeds being split equally between Alder Hey Children’s Charity and The Whitechapel Centre.

Times:
10am–5pm (weekdays) (11am- 5pm weekends)

Terra Ignota: John Elcock and Margaret...

Terra Ignota (‘Unkown Land’) is an exhibition of experimental artworks by artists John Elcock and Margaret O’Brien.

Giving a voice to soil

Although distinct, the works are mutual in their exploration of intersections between art, bioenergy, and contemporary digital technologies. Through biotechnology, live biomaterials (soil, bacteria, electrons) are used with contemporary digital media to transform invisible energy from one live form into another.

Margaret’s work Resistance: West is an ongoing work that develops a live experimental orchestra using a series of microbial fuel cells made from local soil. A microbial fuel cell an electrical circuit that harnesses electrons released by bacteria in soil through organic decomposition.

This work develops a series of musical instruments by translating the fluctuating electrical activity of bacteria in soil into sound. Its multi-cell construct produces a layered sound composition through nuances in note, pitch or tone that each cell emits relative to the specific soil sample. Through its live and unpredictable nature, the work explores parameters of failure in the pursuit of new discoveries.

John will be showing a new work specially created for Terra Ignota. Geist responds to the particular qualities of the Bridewell’s historic spaces and seeks to enter a dialogue with Margaret’s installation Resistance: West. John’s piece similarly uses site-specific, recovered earth to power a live artwork; in this case the soil itself distilling something of its spirit of place to illuminate a ghostly light –  powered by no extraneous sources. In doing so we are invited to reflect on the latent qualities of time and place, a reminder that what appears unseen is not always absent.

The Art of Line

Featuring Charlotte Weatherstone, Michael Goodwin & Stu Harrison.

‘The Art of Line’ showcases three dot-art Artist Members working in the illustrative, graphic and design arena of art. Their impressive line work and unique styles come together in ink drawings, prints and graphic patterns. A running theme in the practice of Weatherstone, Goodwin and Harrison is their character creation to tell a story.

In the work of Stu Harrison these futurist creatures break dance across the canvas amplifying the movement his line work creates and populating the world of ‘Beastly’, Stu’s artist persona.

Goodwin puts his characters in humorous scenarios and dialogues and accentuates their features with bold beehive hair, Pinocchio noses and chins that jut out of the page.

Weatherstone’s feminine characters are wrapped in long wavy hair, leaping around the page, cut straight from luxurious magazines spreads. Charlotte crafts collaged and printed spaces for them to roam.

Charlotte Weatherstone – I am an illustrator & designer from Liverpool. I studied Graphic Arts at Liverpool John Moores University, and currently work as graphic designer & illustrator. I enjoy using various mediums, and work on found objects, paper, wood, a computer and brick walls. I use anything from a pencil to spray paint. My background is graffiti and murals, so spray paint is always part of my creative journey. My work is centred around layering and mark making. I try to be spontaneous when creating work and try not overthink it – which is always a challenge! I use various techniques including print making & collage to create textural work and mix in fashion elements in as well.

Mike Goodwin – These images are intended to be humorous and reflect my own personal sense of humour, which is influenced by film, TV, music, comic art and ‘low comedy’ in general. The illustrations feature recurring characters because I think it makes it easier to create a humorous situation when you are familiar with the foibles of the main character. I tend to use quite a lot of text, which, for me, adds to the overall story. More is revealed upon closer inspection of the ink drawings.

Stu Harrison – I attempt to celebrate the importance and the influence of club and dance music culture, and visually represent volume, rhythm and the glorious chaos found in nightclubs and on dancefloors.

My work has been described as; “these rolling, boiling images see energy and abandon collide, sparking excitement, exuberant confusion and mind-expanding insights” My early inspirations were from the psychedelic artwork of the hippy generation, and then later from pop art, urban art and graffiti. This led me to design visuals and backdrops for the early rave scene at warehouse parties around Hackney. These influences can be seen I hope in the creation of “kinetic and synapse-sparking street style artwork.” Above all my work is about movement, the dance collective and boundless human energy.

All artworks are for sale.

Join them for the Private View of the exhibition on Thursday 8th February from 5pm-7pm.

All welcome, but please register here: TheArtofLine.eventbrite.co.uk

The dot-art Gallery can be found at 14 Queen Avenue, Castle Street, Liverpool, L2 4TX (just 5 minutes’ walk from Liverpool One).

Opening times: Tuesday – Saturday, 10am-6pm

The exhibition runs 9th February – Saturday 30th March 2024.

Girl Power! Spice Girls at 30

Girl Power!  Spice Girls at 30 is a temporary exhibition charting the history of the most important girl band in British history.

In March 1994 an ad was placed in The Stage asking “Are you street smart, extrovert, ambitious, and able to sing and dance?”.  The rest is history.  The Spice Girls debut single Wannabe topped the charts in 31 countries in 1996, they sold 80 million records and had nine UK Number One singles.  The exhibition celebrates the story of how Sporty, Baby, Scary, Ginger and Posh became one of the most successful girl groups ever and enjoyed phenomenal global success.

Girl Power!  Spice Girls at 30 tells the band’s story through outfits from the extraordinary collection of independent curator Liz West, who is the foremost collector of Spice Girls memorabilia and merchandise in the World.  Liz’s Guinness World Record breaking collection boasts many iconic costumes all beautifully hand-made by international designers or specially commissioned by the Spice Girls themselves.

Liz began collecting Spice Girls memorabilia in 1996 when the girls first launched themselves onto the pop scene. As an impressionable 11-year-old, she was hooked as soon as they released their first single ‘Wannabe’. At that age all her friends and family would buy Spice Girls items for Birthday and Christmas presents. Initially Liz just collected albums, magazines and sticker books but after a year of chart successes she started buying singles and masses of official merchandise.

Everything was kept pristine in the packaging unlike her contemporaries who would use the items. Liz had a collector’s instinct from an early age, she would arrange and showcase proudly the boxed memorabilia on her bedroom shelves as a teenager. Liz did not buy her first museum worthy piece until at Art School in Glasgow, armed with a student loan she purchased a top worn my Melanie C at the age of 19 via eBay. After graduating from the Glasgow School of Art in 2007, Liz pursued her idea of exhibiting her ever increasing Spice Girls collection in museums nationwide.

The outfits on display will be complemented by audio visual elements, including a stage show montage of Spice Girls hits and listening stations.  We have a season of activity planned to support the exhibition including film screenings, conversations, acoustic music and a special quiz night. Finally, the Museum’s merch store will be selling a range of Spice Girls apparel and giftware.

Girl Power!  Spice Girls at 30 is included with all general entry tickets purchased. All general entry tickets are valid for 12 months and each eligible visitor has the opportunity to support the Museum by Gift Aiding the cost of admission.

Littlewoods Heritage Project Exhibitio...

Littlewoods is being remembered through the eyes of its’ legions of workers in a unique showing organised by Liverpool John Moores University, at the Museum of Liverpool.

World-famous for its football gambling and retail business, the Liverpool company employed 30,000 at its peak, known as ‘Littlewoodies’, the majority women.

The displays, which run for three months, include vintage photographs, letters, coupons, promotional materials and memorabilia and has a strong focus on the social life of the factory and its legacy in the wider community.

Former employees will gather at the launch event on Thursday, 1 February 5.30-7.30pm and are happy to speak to the media.

“The stories of sisterhood and camaraderie created friendships which last to this very day,” said LJMU Littlewoods Project Director Dr Ruth Doughty, head of film studies at Liverpool John Moores University.

“The display has been inspired by interviews with scores of former employees and their own personal journeys with Littlewoods. It was a truly unique workplace which was more like an extended family, a huge asset for the city and a model for other companies.”

The showcase is being staged at the Museum of Liverpool at the Pier Head from February 1 to April 28.

https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/whatson/museum-of-liverpool/exhibition/littlewoods-heritage-project-display

https://www.littlewoodsheritageproject.co.uk

Joshua Clague: and it feels like I jus...

Joshua Clague’s and it feels like I just got home, echoes Madonna’s Ray of Light. Clague is interested in enduring memories of the female voice in his life. The exhibition often riffs on the pop-icons and divas that he once emulated. His work lays out how his sense of self changes at different times, in different places.

Clague has a longstanding connection with the Bluecoat. He has had a studio space at Bluecoat since March 2023 as part of the New Contemporaries Studio Bursary and has also used the gallery over the last few months as a space for making new work.

Joshua Clague is a visual artist. Originally from Merseyside, Clague recently graduated from Goldsmiths, University of London. Working with writing, installation, textiles, photography and performance, their work crystallises themes of love, memory, family, fandom and form.

Joshua Clague: and it feels like I just got home
Friday 9th February – Monday 1st April

Free entry.

https://www.thebluecoat.org.uk/whatson/joshua-clague-and-it-feels-like-i-just-got-home

Babak Ganjei: Thanks for Having Me

In his exhibition, Thanks for Having Me, Ganjei reflects on vignettes from his life and career as an artist. He has re-staged the market stalls that he began selling his work from; a means of sharing his work that Ganjei has outgrown, and yet can’t let go of.

The deferential title of his exhibition, Thanks for Having Me, reflects back on a life of operating on the margins and never quite being sure where he belongs.

Ganjei has a longstanding connection with the Bluecoat, having designed a commission for the building’s revamped Hub space back in 2021.

Babak Ganjei: Thanks for Having Me
Friday 9th February – Sunday 14th April

Free entry.

https://www.thebluecoat.org.uk/whatson/babak-ganjei-thanks-for-having-me

Ottman Said: Liverpool Waterfront

Bluecoat delighted to share a new outdoor billboard commission by Ottman Said. Said uses abstraction as a way to create beautifully complex landscapes that are rooted in a sense of belonging and place.

Ottman Said is a visual artist. He creates drawings, collages and sculptures, with his own distinct use of line. His recent works are inspired by Liverpool’s iconic waterfront, drawing them as abstracted blocks that seem to jostle for space amongst layers of interwoven line.

Said is a member of Blue Room, Bluecoat’s inclusive arts project for neurodiverse and learning disabled artists, and have been developing their practice in our supported studio project Studio Me. He has received a commission to create a limited edition screen print and postcard for Output’s postal exhibition Studio Me and You, and has recently collaborated with his mentor Bernadette O’Toole to develop his painting practice.

Studio Me: The Billboard Commissions will be featured on the side of Bluecoat’s building, located on Blundell Lane.

https://www.thebluecoat.org.uk/whatson/studio-me-the-billboard-commissions-ottman-said