Eye On Manchester blog by Aidan O’Rourke Tutor Photographer

Personal & professional diary on photography, languages, Français, Deutsch, local interest, art, music, travel and more

This afternoon I went to the Walker Art Gallery to see the Liverpool cityscape painting by Ben Johnson.

The picture has been on display during 2008, Liverpool’s Capital of Culture year.

I’d seen it on tv and on postcards, but there’s no substitute for studying it up close.

There is an astounding level of detail. The image was created using intricate stencils and spray paint. Small details were painted using a tiny brush. The painting was begun in 2005 and completed during a residency at the Walker Art Gallery in 2008. As with other works by Ben Johnson, a small team of assistants worked full time on the project.

Also on display were the artist’s cityscape paintings of Hong Kong, Jerusalem, Zurich, and architectural paintings of the Rookery Building Chicago and the Louvre Pyramid, Paris.

The paintings have a richness and precision very pleasing to the eye. And yet there is an emptiness about them. That’s because there are no people or vehicles. The artist invites people to enter the picture mentally, and add their own memories and associations.

I’m very glad I came to see it. I found much inspiration for my own cityscape photos, one of which I have been working on using the MacBook Pro. Today was the last day of the exhibition. I stayed till the gallery closed, and I was the very last visitor to see it.

It will be going on display at the futuristic museum of Liverpool History, currently nearing completion by the Pier Head.

I took the National Express coach from Manchester to Liverpool (cost 6.50 return). On the outbound trip I chatted to retired photographer Patrick Black from Poynton. He told me about his extensive photo archive, and hope to follow this up.

Liverpool Museums website

Ben Johnson artist website

Weather in Liverpool: Cloudy, mild.

This evening I went to an event organised by local MEP Arlene MCarthy. It was a celebration of music and sport, and there were many VIP guests including Neil Kinnock.

Held at the City Art Gallery, it was a spin-off event of the Labour Party Conference, currently in progress just five minutes walk away in Manchester Central (aka GMEX former Central Station) and the Peter St area. The aim was to celebrate and promote the role of the North West region in Europe including the twin cities of Manchester and Liverpool, both famous for their achievements in music and sport.

I quickly got talking to the very personable Sarah Beyer, Communications and Public Affairs assistant with the BPI. She is in Manchester for the Labour Party Conference. I chatted to local property developer and musician Martin Moylan who I have met previously.

There were speeches by Neil Kinnock, Sir Richard Leese, and a rap performance by the KICKZ kids from Manchester City Football Club’s City in the Community project.

I got talking to Councillor Sir Richard Leese, Leader of Manchester City Council. I interviewed him 10 years ago for Eyewitness in Manchester. I invited him to go along and see my Manchester Mega-Photo at Urbis. Other personalities included Paul Horrocks MEN editor, and local councillors.

All in all it was a very enjoyable event and a taste of the political buzz going on in the city right now. I find it absolutely fascinating to photograph famous faces such as, this evening, Neil Kinnock.

The Labour Party conference is returning to Manchester in two years and I intend to be there.

Today I drove along the A56 to the Wirral for the purpose of taking a dusk photo of the Liverpool skyline.

I stopped off at Lady Lever Art Gallery, my favourite gallery in the north west. I never fail to discover something new and amazing on every visit. The most attention-grabbing this time was the pastel drawing ‘Pandora’ by Dante Gabriel Rosetti, part of a temporary exhibition of drawings.

After the gallery I explored the Tranmere / south Birkenhead area and walked through two parks – Victoria Park and Mersey Park. I’d never been to this area before. Though I know most of the Manchester area inside out, most of the Liverpool / Merseyside region is new to me. It’s great to be able explore an area and lose yourself. From the higher ground there are amazing views towards Liverpool and over the river Mersey. I can only wonder how this area was in times past – eg the 1960s – when local districts had a much stronger individual character and ‘aura’. This is the root of my appreciation of cities, and why I love to photograph them.

Birkenhead is around 38 miles west of Manchester and like my home town of Stockport, it’s in Cheshire and on the south bank of the Mersey.

Later I went to Seacombe and took the photograph but wasn’t satisfied with it, due to problems with equipment.

On the M56 on the way home I had a remarkable experience listening to Holst’s Planets Suite on Radio 3, played by the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra at the Proms.

Useless fact: What’s the Manchester connection with the Planets Suite? In 2000 a new movement Pluto written by Colin Matthews was performed by the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester.

Liverpool and Birkenhead, though not part of Manchester are still within easy striking distance of Manchester, and so are part of the Manchester experience. I also like to think there is a single ‘Mersey Region’ comprising both the Liverpool and Manchester and districts in between. It could be regarded as one continuous city with certain common traits.

Cick here to view my Liverpool skyline photos.

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