CECIL BEATON
On display at The Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool - is a retrospective exhibition of Beaton's portraits. I was really keen to visit this as his work has inspired the likes of David Bailey, contributed to the history of British Vogue, and additionally has received wide recognition as a talent that captured images of glamour, elegance and style throughout many eras. He was also a writer, artist, designer, illustrator, caricaturist, diarist and compiler of scrapbooks.
The exhibition was split into four sections:
- The Early Years: London to Hollywood, 1920s and 1930s
- The Years Between: The War and Post-War Arts, 1940s
- The Strenuous Years: Picturing the Arts, 1950s
- Partying and the Partying Years: Apotheosis and Retrospection, 1960s and 1970s
Portraits inc. Queen Elizabeth & Prince Charles, Marilyn Monroe and Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel.
There wasn't too much background information provided for each section or portrait which was a bit disapointing, but upon reflection it was a visual celebration of one of the most significant British born photographers of the 20th Century. It was an enjoyable and vast collection that documented 50 years of fashion, art and celebrity.
Image: Audrey Hepburn, 1960.
Image: Queen Elizabeth & Prince Charles, 1950.
Image: Marilyn Monroe, 1956.
Image: Julie Andrews, 1959.
On the same day, I visited the National Conservation Centre and went to the Sound & Vision exhibition. This was quite small, but worth a look! It featured photographs by Francesco Mellina, that depict fashion/club scenes in Liverpool from 1978-82. This acted as a good visual record of subcultures of the time, and how they arose as an escape from the reality of unemployment and economic decline.
By belonging to a 'style tribe' whether it be a Punk, New Romantic, Rockabilly or Goth, a sense of purpose is born that notably sparks a creative focus in a bid to achieve an individual look. Those who express themselves through their music and fashion tastes provide themselves with a vibrant antidote for their everyday existence.
"People who work 9 to 5 then go out and live their fantasies. They're glad to be dressed up and escaping work and all the greyness and depression."
Steve Strange.
For an exhibition that was on principle about escapism and being bold, this was a very black and white experience. Understandably the photographs were taken in b/w which I absolutely love, but they were mounted on white and black walls; the music playing was dim. I think it would have been visually more pleasing and thought provoking if they had injected the sense of styles depicted into the display.
It was interesting to combine the two exhibitions and the contrast in subjects. Both document fashion, but at different ends of the spectrum. Hollywood and royalty create a very different asthetic to that of a city in the midst of economic decline. I find it really interesting to examine culture and how it determines 'style' and the individual.
No comments:
Post a Comment