Interest area: Photography

All Together Now: Portraits by Veronic...

Veronica Watson has been chronicling the people who populate the Bluecoat for almost 20 years. As a founding member of Blue Room, the Bluecoat’s inclusive arts project, she has cast a steady eye over the ever evolving community of people who spend time working, volunteering and creating at the arts centre. Her portraiture practice has captured the likeness and spirit of many individuals through drawing and painting.

For the first time, the artists’ collection of portraits will be shared in a limited edition book, All Together Now with a foreword by writer Mike Pinnington from the Double Negative. More information on how to purchase the book will be available soon.

This accompanying exhibition features a selection of portraits of people connected with Blue Room and the Bluecoat, along with archive images of Watson’s long engagement with the arts centre.

Located in their upstairs Gallery.

Until Sun 4 May
Open 11am-5pm, Tue-Sun
Free entry

Goodbye to Goodison

Goodison Park’s final season as home to Everton Football Club will be documented from a fan’s perspective, through a new photo display opening on 5 April at Museum of Liverpool.

Featuring nine photographers from the club’s fanbase, Goodbye to Goodison is a love letter to the home stadium of Everton Football Club in its final season. The display of photos taken during the final season looks at the relationship between this iconic ground and the loyal fans who congregate around the stadium.

Goodbye to Goodison brings together fan photographers that document the matchday experience at Goodison Park. The photos selected highlight matchdays away from the Premier League glamour – the chippies, pubs, meeting places and family moments shared during the final season.

As the club moves into the next chapter of its rich history, relocating to a state-of-the-art stadium, fans are savouring the final moments in one of the country’s last great football stadiums.

Chris Wardle, co-curator and contributor to Goodbye to Goodison, said: “While a lot of attention is focused on the pitch for Goodison Park’s final season, I wanted to shift our focus to the pre-game experiences and moments that, to me, make this old ground so special.

“The display celebrates the streets, landmarks and establishments that have become an extension of the ground over the years.

“We’re lucky, as a fanbase, to have a talented group of photographers who have taken it upon themselves to document Goodison’s legacy from their own perspective. I am excited to showcase the work of these photographers and pay tribute to one of the great stadiums in world football.”

To mark the final game, museum curators will select an image taken from the final game of the season, capturing the emotion and importance of the final game at The Grand Old Lady.

Karen O’Rourke, curator for sport, music and performance at Museum of Liverpool, said: “Leaving a space for an image from the final game at Goodison Park seems like an important thing to do. We are hoping the photographers involved can capture the emotion that will no doubt overflow before and after the last game. The display pays tribute to a landmark of the city, before the club moves to its new ground on the banks of the River Mersey.”

Goodbye to Goodison opens in Museum of Liverpool’s Skylight Gallery on Saturday 5 April and runs until Sunday 10 August.

On Thursdays throughout the run of the display, visitors will be able to see additional images from the photographers and share their own memories and experiences of going to the match.

Running alongside the display, the museum will release an episode of the NML Podcast talking with staff, ex-players, ex-managers and other important figures who know Goodison Park best. Online a wider selection of photos from around the ground will be available to view.

For more information on Goodbye to Goodison, the photographers and special events, please visit: Liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/Goodison-park.

 

No Iconic Images. Views of War

Open Eye Gallery proudly presents No Iconic Images. Views of War, a thought-provoking exhibition examining contemporary depictions of war.

This exhibition invites audiences to reconsider the power of war photography in shaping collective memory, political narratives, and public perception. As images circulate faster than ever in a digital world, the exhibition raises pressing questions: Do we still need iconic images? How do they influence our understanding of war? And what happens when a single image defines an entire conflict?
In collaboration with The Guardian and Magnum Photos, the exhibition showcases projects by a new generation of Magnum photographers, Peter van Agtmael and Newsha Tavakolian, who offer personal insights into the wars they witnessed in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria.

The exhibition also delves into the editorial choices behind war photography today, with The Guardian providing a unique perspective on global conflicts, from Haiti to Myanmar. As Fiona Shields, The Guardian’s Head of Photography stated:”The geo-political nature of a conflict will often determine the priority of our reporting”, these images drives us to think about how photography shapes and influences our understanding of global crisis.

Investigative works by Forensic Architecture and the Centre for Spatial Technologies reconstruct the 2022 attack on Kyiv’s TV Tower, while artists Yarema Malashchuk and Roman Khimei challenge traditional Western aesthetics in representations of war casualties.
“As the world burns and images circulate faster than ever, it examines recent wars and how they are portrayed and reflected upon through photography”. – Max Gorbatskyi and Viktoria Bavykina, exhibition curators.

Image: Raymond and his sons. Darien, Wisconsin, USA, 2007 © Peter van Agtmael / Magnum Photos

The Many Faces of Many Hands

This is Laura McCann’s second exhibition in “The Many Faces” series, commissioned by Liverpool charity Sahir.

The photographs feature individuals from Sahir’s “Many Hands” group, all of whom have had to leave their countries of birth because of strict laws and attitudes against LGBTQ+ people. This year marks Sahir’s 40th anniversary and Laura also wanted to highlight how things have altered in the UK over that time. To do this Laura has juxtaposed the portraits of the Many Hands group with artists from the city’s drag scene.

She hopes the stark contrast illustrates that change is possible and that there is liberation in living authentically. Laura never uses flash, extra lighting or excessive editing, she does this to primarily put people at ease during their shoot but also to celebrate them as they are in reality.

Event

This project was made possible by The National Lottery Community Fund.

Proximity

Stephen McCoy has spent 45 years living, working, and photographing on Merseyside. “Proximity” explores his deep connection with the people and places of the region, tracing the development of his photographic practice over the decades. The exhibition features a selection of works from his major projects, spanning from 1979 to the present, including two recent, ongoing sets of work.

From housing estates in Ainsdale to communities in Skelmersdale, from the demolition sites in Liverpool to the safe spaces of homes and gardens, from along the coastline to a touching and personal family journey – these projects, featuring a wide range of subjects and experimental ways of making pictures, celebrate the relationships that we create throughout our lives.

Stephen McCoy said: I have always felt that my best work shows a deep personal connection to the subject photographed, whether of people or place. A sense of place necessitates familiarity with an area; hence this exhibition is a distillation of a 45-year project, a continuing examination of my homeland, my Proximity.

For me photographs must have a balance between concept, technique and creativity. I do consider myself a documentary photographer, in the broadest sense; I photograph my view of the world and create order. Many of the photographs in the exhibition are from older projects and these have taken on a different kind of importance as time has passed.

Queen by Magnus Hastings

Known for his internationally-recognised work with drag performers and the LGBTQ+ community, Magnus Hastings has photographed a who’s-who of drag superstars throughout his career as well created numerous icon images of well-known famous faces from Todrick Hall and Boy George, to Luke Evans and Cheyenne Jackson.

In his exhibition at Walker Art Gallery, titled ‘Queen’, Hastings displays a curated selection of his most famous photographs, including portraits of renowned drag queens Bianca del Rio, Courtney Act, and Trixie Mattel. Alongside these iconic images, the exhibition features newly commissioned, never-before-seen photographs spotlighting dozens of Liverpool’s own legendary drag artists, shot in the city’s famous Pride Quarter.

Originally from London, Hastings has gained widespread recognition through his distinctive style that combines bold colour palettes with a keen eye for capturing the essence of his subjects. ‘Queen’, a unique collaboration between Magnus Hastings and National Museums Liverpool, stands as a vibrant testament to the individual artistry of drag and the collective spirit of pride. Liverpool’s world-renowned drag scene serves as both a haven and a stage for numerous outstanding performers who live, work, and slay in the city.

From iconic local artists like Lily Savage to more recent stars like Danny Beard, winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK season four, the city boasts a rich drag history shaped by these queens. In ‘Queen’, Hastings turns the camera on some of the city’s local drag superstars, showcasing their unique looks in a series of photographs that capture the vivacity and individuality embodying the city’s drag scene.

In addition to these original images, a series of Hastings’ most iconic photographs from throughout his career are featured, including those from his book ‘Rainbow Revolution’, which showcases figures from across the LGBTQ+ community, creatively envisioning the space inside an empty white box. Hastings’ work evokes the essence of drag in an intimate, multi-layered portrait, presenting these performers and their art in a rarely seen way. His self-taught, spontaneous approach captures the irreverent spirit and fierce glamour of drag culture.

The exhibition features a royal court of drag excellences, with international queens featured including Adore Delano, Alaska, Bob the Drag Queen, Gottmik, Jaida Essence Hall, Jinkx Monsoon, Katya, Raja, Sasha Velour, Violet Chachki, and many more. Among the local drag artists photographed for ‘Queen’ are Danny Beard, Sister Sister, Brenda LaBeau, Naya Thorn, and Violet Pain, alongside a host of other Merseyside performers.

Everyone is Moving – Your Journeys, ...

Open Eye Gallery and Liverpool Architecture Festival 2024 have partnered to facilitate a free-to-enter photography competition and exhibition.

Photographers of all abilities and backgrounds entered the free competition to interpret ‘Everyone is Moving – Your Journeys, Your Neighbourhoods’ using any medium from mobile phone cameras to DSLR and film, to capture the unique character of the diverse neighbourhoods of the Liverpool City Region, focusing on architecture and the built environment.

The overall winner was Sam Jones with the photographic project titled ‘The Streets of Liverpool’.

Bonds / Ripples

Open Eye Gallery is proud to present an annual exhibition of new talent graduating from BA Photography and Social Practice (UCEN Manchester) and BA in Digital Imaging and Photography (Hugh Baird College).

From the intimacy of personal relationships to the ways of navigating the perils and sharing our visual culture, these diverse projects illuminate how we can connect and support each other. The exhibition offers a nuanced exploration of the many ways in which relationships are formed, nurtured, and expressed.

Bonds / Hugh Baird College

Each year, Open Eye Gallery works with photography students from Hugh Baird College, giving guidance and feedback on their projects. The works making up the Bonds exhibition delve into the intricacy of shared experiences and perspectives. Each artist carefully explores connections with others, studying the ways they can be manifested or how new ones can be forged.

Works by: Billie Bowden, Jennifer Murray, Abby Ready, Joseph Smith, Courtney Smith, Valentin Todorean,, Michelle Webster.

Ripples / UCEN Manchester

Photography and Social Practice course is delivered by UCEN Manchester and Open Eye Gallery. This year UCEN students are presenting two projects. Dear Dad by Molly Wright is sharing the artist’s personal journey of grief through the form of photography and the astonishing impact that a place can have on memory. Movie Love by Aurelia Mermier invites the viewers to read through exchanged notes, memorabilia, and collaborative experimental photography of the two people in a relationship that has changed their lives deeply.

Works by: Molly Wright and Aurelia Mermier.

Sarah Fisher, Executive Director at Open Eye Gallery, said: Open Eye Gallery is interested in developing career opportunities for photographers from diverse backgrounds and bringing forward the individual voices of the next generation of artists. That’s the focus of these courses and this show. Both exhibitions have been through the process of thinking about what the students want to say as photographers. They are treated exactly the same as we would treat any international artist: it’s not about where they are in their careers, it’s about these individual voices and the stories they tell.

This exhibition is a continued celebration of Open Eye Gallery’s ongoing relationship with Hugh Baird College and UCEN Manchester. They are delighted to be supporting new photographic talent at the beginning of their artistic careers.

Wirral’s gems and wildlife with the ...

Head along and meet the Happy Snappers and explore their beautiful photographs from across the Wirral.

The Happy Snappers are a wonderful friendly group of both Deaf people and BSL users, who enjoy getting together and exploring some of the Wirral’s gems and wildlife with their cameras.

Lāsma Poiša: I became a mother

‘I became a mother’ is a personal journey into a universal female experience of metamorphosis, evolution, and recovery.

Photographing her daughter became the only opportunity for a creative output after Poiša became a parent in early 2022. These photographs transcended the immediate function of the family album revealing lesser-known sides of mothering.

This work reconsiders the conventional representation the mother, reframing birth, and motherhood as a journey down the mythical well as part of a feminine initiation.