Current & Forthcoming Exhibitions Summer/Autumn/Winter ‘03
Thermo 03
28 June - 20 July 2003
Thermo 03 is an exhibition of work for sale and to take away, that takes the temperature of new art in Manchester and Salford. It brings together a dazzling selection of works of art, paintings, photographs and much more, by some of the hottest talents around. It is an exciting and dynamic time for contemporary art across the city and The Lowry is proud to reflect the creative talents of a wide range of artists from recent graduates to well established artists. All the work is for sale and there should be something for all tastes. Thermo 03 presents a range of styles and approaches from the serious to the playful and from the grand to the tiny.
L S Lowry: Conversation Pieces
5 July - 5 Oct 2003
This exhibition of L S Lowry's work was selected by Andras Kalman, the owner of the Crane Kalman Gallery (now in London but which he initially opened in Manchester). A Hungarian refugee and a good friend of Lowry’s for over 30 years, all the works he has selected have particular significance for him. Apart from his good friendship with Lowry, Andras has bought and sold Lowry works for many years. He has therefore a very profound knowledge of his art. Andras has written a book about his memories of Lowry, called Conversation Pieces (hence the exhibition title). He’s extremely passionate about L S Lowry’s work and over the years has sold to various collectors including Jeffrey Archer, Lord Harris, David Attenborough, Sir Charles Forte.
The Impossible View?
19 July - 11 Jan 2004
A feast of works of art from Turner paintings and watercolours to lunar landscapes. L S Lowry's famous industrial landscapes are shown alongside images from over four centuries that present a sweep of landscape from a high or expanded viewpoint. The Impossible View? is about looking at the world from a different viewpoint and brings together works with a bird’s eye viewpoint, an expanded or panoramic breadth. It is about creative and scientific leaps of the imagination. Many of the works in this exhibition have a visual thrill by lifting the viewer up to a high vantage point, to look down on different slices of the world, at different periods in history. Works by many of Britain's leading collections, including the Tate, the National Gallery, the British Museum, the Royal Collection and the V&A, will be travelling to Salford for The Impossible View? exhibition at The Lowry. The show includes works from over 450 years of art from across the globe - from Brueghel to Canaletto, Hiroshige to Turner and Rubens to Hockney. This exhibition is sponsored by Turley Associates.
River Journeys
2 Aug - 26 Oct 2003
Group show featuring photographers John Darwell, Dinu Li, Gordon McWilliam, Stuart Royse, sculptor Jill Randall & TEA (Those Environmental Artists) The River Irwell starts as a brook high up in the hills of Lancashire, feeds into the Manchester Ship Canal, flows out to meet the River Mersey and on in to the Irish Sea. It travels through some of the most beautiful and the most ugly parts of the region. Anyone who has lived or worked on or near this extraordinary waterway has a story to tell of its influence on their lives. River Journeys brings to The Lowry contemporary photographs, sculptures and special boat trips inspired by the River and the Canal, that tell six different stories about this important watercourse. The Promenade Gallery will host a selection of stunning photographs tracking the River Irwell from its source out to the sea. This exhibition will bring together work by a number of leading regional photographs - Stuart Royse, Gordon McWilliams, Dinu Li and John Darwell, plus archive images from the Manchester Ship Canal Company that show the construction and expansion of the Canal. Alongside this is a major sculpture exhibition by Manchester-based Jill Randall, who has created work for the River Irwell and is making new work especially for The Lowry.
L S Lowry: Going To The Match
11 Oct 2003 – 18 Jan 2004
Going to the Match is The Lowry’s most popular painting and is 50 years old this year. L S Lowry won first prize with his scene from Burnden Park (Bolton Wanderers ground which has now been superseded by the Reebok stadium) in a competition organised by the Football Association. The work is on long term loan to The Lowry from the PFA who bought it for a record price for a modern British painting in 1999 (£1.9 million). This small exhibition puts Going to the Match under a spotlight, and will be accompanied by 2 other L S Lowry football drawings, photos and text, including some comments about it, made by celebrities Jack Charlton and John Simm.
2D>3D: Design For Theatre And Performance
8 Nov 2003 – 7 Mar 2004
2D>3D reveals the design secrets of many magical shows, from international musicals to innovative fringe events, and award-winning theatre, opera and dance productions. This fascinating exhibition includes exhibits by over 150 set, costume and lighting designers, demonstrating how the two dimensional sketch comes to life in three dimensional reality. It uncovers the seldom seen tools of performance design such as stage models, costume designs, storyboards, computer visualisations and includes fabulous costumes, puppets, masks, props and stunning photographs of the realised productions. 2D>3D builds on the success of 'Make Space!' which was seen at the Mappin Art Gallery and Museum in 1997 and voted "one of the most popular exhibitions ever" by gallery staff.
L S Lowry: A City’s Pride
24 Jan - 20 Jun 2004
The City of Salford inspired L S Lowry and, in recognition, Salford Art Gallery collected his work over many years, creating a special link between the City and the artist. Although The Lowry houses Salford’s collection of L S Lowry’s work, usually only a selection is shown at a time in changing, thematic exhibitions. This exhibition provides an opportunity to see the largest public collection of L S Lowry’s work – over 300 oils and drawings - plus several smaller works drawn on the backs of envelopes, hotel notepaper and Christmas cards. During the course of his career, he used pencil, watercolour and pastel, followed by ballpoint and felt tip pen as they became available. Lowry often drew on anything that came to hand and there are plenty of examples of his rapid drawings on scraps of paper, demonstrating the obsessive and compulsive nature of his art. Nowhere else in Britain is such a large collection of paintings and drawings housed in the city where the artist worked.
Further information about The Galleries
The Lowry offers a programme of modern and contemporary art of diversity and appeal. The Lowry collection itself is presented in a dynamic way, with displays changing regularly. Temporary exhibitions often complement the collections, through themed exhibitions about the urban or industrial environment, empty landscapes, or contemporaries of L S Lowry. Admission to the Galleries is free. On arrival you will need an admission ticket from the Galleries Desk. We encourage donations to support the Galleries and the care of the L S Lowry Collection.
Gallery Opening times: Sun-Wed 11am-5pm, Thurs-Fri 11am-7.30pm, Sat 10am-7.30pm
NB The Gallery opening times will change this Autumn by staying open late whenever there is a theatre event, to enable visitors to always enjoy the complete Lowry experience.
Gallery Opening Times from Sep ’03: Galleries open everyday 11am – 5pm and will stay open late until the theatre performance starts whenever there is a show in the theatres.
Posted on Thursday, 10 July 2003 under Press Galleries Press