I attended the launch of the Liverpool Contemporary Arts fair on Friday to have a sneak peek of what was on offer. I was very impressed by the wide selection of art ranging from as little as £40 right up to £1.6 million.
Emerging and established artists from over 50 leading British and International galleries exhibited their work within the iconic Liver building on Liverpool’s prestigious waterfront. I thought it was a great idea to allow newcomers to display their work alongside established artists, giving everyone equal opportunities.
The fair launched in 2014 as part of the cultural programme for the UK’s International Festival for Business (IFB 2014), and this year it looked to welcome over 250,000 national and International visitors to the city.
I was inspired by the variety of different artists displaying their work, using experimental techniques incorporating coffee and tea, mixed media and reclaimed inscribed doors to name a few. Take a look below at some of my favourites.
Jamie Green Art – www.jamiegreenart.com
Jamie Green is a Manchester based Artist and at the age of 26 has been recognized by a variety of galleries for his unusual style and creativity. Jamie sees opportunity where others see waste, diving into skips and scrap piles to seek out discarded and forgotten objects and turns them into something beautiful; turning old wood, metal, concrete and slate into works of art.
From afar when looking at his art, it is not apparent how the image is created. On first glance I thought he had just painted onto the doors, however when you look much closer you actually realise that the door paint has been chiseled away to form an intricate and detailed drawing, revealing the raw wood from beneath the surface. I thought it was such an inventive idea to transform unwanted items into something eye-catching and beautiful (good for the environment too). www.jamiegreenart.com
Carne Griffiths – Artist working with tea and alcohol
I was intrigued by these intricate drawings created by tea and alcohol. This sounds like the perfect combination – getting creative with vodka and cups of tea. Sounds like so much fun! Carne Griffiths is originally from Liverpool and works primarily with calligraphy inks, graphite and liquids, such as tea, brandy and vodka.
Griffiths’ fascination with drawing focuses on the creation and manipulation of the drawn line. Images explore human, geometric and floral forms, in a combination of both literal and abstract translation and in response to images and situations encountered in daily life. Images are recorded in a dreamlike sense onto the page where physical boundaries are unimportant. His work creates a journey of escapism which focuses on scenes of awe and wonder, projecting a sense of abandonment and inviting the viewer to share and explore this inner realm.
See below for some of my favourite pieces – I absolutely love the detail and patterns within each drawing! I think I may have found something for my house 🙂 www.carnegriffiths.com
The Tempest
If you missed out this year and want to see more work that was displayed this weekend, you can find out more on www.liverpoolcontemporary.com.
Natalie x