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| Burslem Backs Stephen Liddle |
Illustrating urban scenes is particularly challenging, especially areas that are experiencing post-industrial decline like Stoke-on-Trent and its surrounding area. There is a fine line between nostalgia and grimness, and there is a danger that artists can wander into one or the other, or even represent both in their local depictions. People who know me will be aware that I am not a great fan of the overly nostalgic imagery of Stoke-on-Trent in some artworks, it's a matter of taste and I know that others have a great fondness for this artistic style. Nostalgic representations of Stoke-on-Trent may convey the competency of the artist but as a local person, I feel that these works lack authenticity.
Stephen is a friend and more than a competent illustrator, I was aware that he was developing his style as part of the local Urban Sketchers group, although I had not had a preview of any of these works before the exhibition. I was pleased I hadn't as the Barewall Gallery, an exceptional exhibition space in Burslem, had excellently hung the works for Stephen's first exhibition, which are best viewed as a collection rather than individually.
I found Stephen's illustrations neither grim nor nostalgic, possibly because they are simply scenic with no human presence. His use of charcoal, acrylic, and pastel in these works, to reimagine places that will be familiar to those that live locally, present an abstract honesty. These observations are even more compelling because despite living in the local area for many years, Stephen is originally from the North East, it is possible that his outsider's eye has identified colours and shapes on his walks across the City, where he says he has gained inspiration, that those close to the subjects do not see. Despite the darkness of the palette of some of the illustrations, which are enigmatically evocative, there is a counterbalance, of whites and blues in his lighter works, as in "Burslem Backs" with its encroaching firework foreground and "Behind the Chinese Takeaway in Chesterton" with its invading lines of telegraph pole and external ventilator pipe and bleached sky. These were the standout highlights in the exhibition, for me and I would personally, like to see more development of this in future work.
The focus of this blog is culture and place, and Stephen's exhibition fully encapsulates this, with tantalising references to local artist and playwright Arthur Berry. The exhibition is on at Barewall until 9th November, catch it while you can.
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| Behind the Chinese Takeaway Chesterton Stephen Liddle |
Streets of Your Town Stephen Liddle