Art in Revolution: Liverpool 1911

Thursday, July 7th, 2011

The Art in Revolution: Liverpool 1911 exhibition at the Walker Art Gallery celebrates the centenary of the 1911 exhibition of Post-Impressionist works and local avant-garde artists at the Bluecoat  (The Sandon Studios Society exhibition of Modern Art including work by the Post-Impressionists).  The breadth of styles is breath-taking – there are works by van Gogh, Gauguin  and Signac.   The art runs around the outside of the gallery its being shown in.

At the heart of the exhibition, literally and metaphorically, is a focus on events in Liverpool during the hot summer of 1911.  There were strikes; a peaceful protest on St George’s Plateau that turned ugly after police apparently overreacted to a minor incident with a baton charge to clear the area; troops stationed in the city; and H.M.S. Antrim stationed in the Mersey.  Black and white film of the disturbances plays in the foyer as you enter and then exhibits in the middle of the gallery, along with a timeline on one wall, place the revolutionary artwork in the context of the time it was being shown in.

A final, smaller room shows works that created in the years afterwards, how the art influenced other areas of design and photographic prints exhibited at the Walker in its 1911 exhibition.

The Liverpool Revolution 1911 is well worth a visit if you’re in Liverpool.  It runs till 25th September 2011 and entry is free.

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