Salford Quays

Salford Quays

13 November 2010

We paid Salford Quays an unexpected visit today.

I was addressing a recruiting meeting of a well known fast food franchise (I was lovin it) and it happened to be on one of those rare child free weekend. We elected to see this commitment  as an opportunity, so Belle went with me, settling herself down in a corner to read her course book and watch a Shakesperian play in Italian.

After I had 'done my stuff' we drove into Manchester and decided to take a look at the Lowery exhibition on Salford Quays. Lowery - an interesting artist and one who is best appreciated when you can see a significant body of his work on one place.

His is a very unusual style, strange matchstick like figures painted on a white background. There is an evolution over the years but the theme remained the same. Perhaps the interesting thing is that his paintings are all people centric but rarely singling an individual out and instead giving an impression of crowds against an industrial backdrop. They aren't happy images, they all seem bent down and wearied by their scurrying to and fro, little ants living meaningless lives.

Lowery was a sad man himself, panting stark seascapes consisting of just water and sky, or maybe a sea with a rocky tower depicting himself - standing against the storms which would ultimately wear him away. Happy stuff!

We emerged into a sunset, giving me just enough time to get some moody shots over the water.