Commission
Blackpool Public Artworks Photography Commission
14/10/09 19:43 Post: Commissions
'The Wave'. Taken at 07:23am in Blackpool, Lancashire. UK. Sunday 20th September 2009.
Last month I was commissioned by Blackpool Council Arts Service to photograph five new public artworks for their promotional postcards and permanent records. These artworks consisted of a WWII soldier sculpture in Salisbury Woodlands, The Choir Loft next to the war memorial near North Pier, The hoardings around the site of the old Yates's Building, illumination artworks on Dale Street and a number of installations (including the 'The Wave' sculpture) in the newly re-developed St. John's Square in Blackpool's town centre.
'The Wave' is a 10.5 metre high sculpture designed by the artist Lucy Glendinning, which forms part of Blackpool Council's regeneration plans to create new high quality public spaces for residents and visitors to enjoy. The sculpture features an illuminated colour-changing pattern in cast resin, reflecting the stained glass windows of St. John's Church. A 2.5 metre diving figure, secured with metal rods hidden inside the sculpture, springs from the main polished stainless steel structure and references Blackpool's coastal heritage and history. The highly polished mirror finish provides a ‘hall of mirrors' type effect that ensures 'The Wave' looks different from every possible angle. Five giant pebbles cast in clear resin also surround the sculpture that light up in various different colours.
This £500,000 sculpture is part of a £4.7m makeover of the town centre that is funded by the NWDA (North West Development Agency) and Townscape Heritage Initiative. The plaza, now open to the public, includes decorative granite setts, new plane trees, column lighting, plantings, and computer controlled illuminated water fountains.
'St. John's Square Bus Shelter'. Taken at 07:35am in Blackpool, Lancashire. UK. Sunday 20th September 2009.
“Reviving Blackpool’s economy remains a key priority for the NWDA and we have made a number of investments into key infrastructure and public realm projects to support the growth of the town’s visitor economy and enhance quality of life for local residents. The completion of this new public square is another significant milestone in Blackpool’s renaissance and I am sure that it will prove popular with visitors and residents alike."
- Steven Broomhead (NWDA Chief Executive) 
'Hoardings'. Taken at 03:09pm in Blackpool, Lancashire. UK. Thursday 10th September 2009.
The 'hoardings', a colourful installation consisting of eighty 1.5 metre panels by the artist Sarah Galloway, is a £20,000 project that surrounds the site of the old Yates's building in Talbot Square that was burnt down on the 15th February 2009. Each panel is inspired by photographs of iconic Blackpool buildings and also features text from Blackpool Council's current poet in residence John Siddique. Some of the panels are hand painted by the artist while others use digital photography on acrylic discs.
Sarah says of her work: "I'm really pleased with how it looks now that all the panels are in place. I think it looks really good and it certainly gives people something to talk about and a destination to aim for." Reaction to the panels is mixed, with some people branding it a waste of money, while others say it is key to the resort's regeneration.
(Source: The Blackpool Gazette) 
'Dale Street Illumination Artwork'. Taken at 06:57pm in Blackpool, Lancashire. UK. Sunday 26th September 2009.
Photographing the new illumination artworks, which are intermittently placed along both sides of Dale Street, provided one of the most challenging shoots for this commission. Not only is the street incredibly narrow and crowded with people at this time of the evening, the illuminated artworks that I needed to photograph are placed quite high and so there was no way of shooting them straight on. I am however, always up for a challenge. In the photograph above, I tried to use the cafe and street signs to provide a context for the artworks that I think makes for a rather interesting juxtaposition. You may not to see it in this particular photograph, but each artwork has a central circle that has a different backlit photograph of Blackpool which is framed by a sculptural seagull motif. 
'WWII Soldier Sculpture'. Taken at 01:45pm in Salisbury Woodlands, Blackpool, Lancashire. UK. Wednesday 9th September 2009.
This WWII Soldier Sculpture in Salisbury Woodlands near Blackpool Zoo also required some thought and consideration in order to get the best photograph out of it. The sculpture is placed upon a pillbox in a densely wooded area and was built as an anti-invasion station during World War II. Needless to say, the army didn't build this pillbox in a brightly lit area. I went back to this location several times to get the best possible light and my persistence finally paid off during my fourth attempt to photograph this soldier sculpture. I think the trees in the background compliment the overall tone and texture of soldier, while also giving some context to where the photograph was taken. 
'The Choir Loft'. Taken at 02:03pm in Blackpool, Lancashire. UK. Thursday 10th September 2009.
'The Choir Loft' is a contemporary memorial to those who struggle for freedom in all conflicts. It is a functional monument to the act of resistance and the importance of memory, and has been designed to compliment the existing Cenotaph near North Pier. The aim of the work is to provide a space for contemplation and reflection for visitors. On ceremonial days it will host public celebration and memorial through song. The memorial takes the form of a 'Choir Loft' that is a permanent space for a choir to sing, positioned so that the singers face the existing Cenotaph, and beyond that, the sea. The memorial is faced in white granite, with a contrasting band of blue granite into which the words 'Sing softly. Be still. Cease.' are written.
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Bloomfield Talks Tea Party
17/10/08 20:58 Post: Commissions
Taken at 3:04pm at St. Peters Church, Lytham Road. Blackpool. Saturday 11th October 2008.
In September I was asked to document the website launch of the community-based arts project ‘Bloomfield Talks’. After the madness of the NALGAO conference, this was a nice way to round off a busy week of work. There were quiet moments where people would write down their experiences of the Bloomfield area juxtaposed with live web-broadcasts, balloons, cake, music & much more!
‘Bloomfield Talks’ is a year-long oral history project commissioned by Blackpool Council and runs between July 2008 and February 2009. The project focuses upon the experiences of people who have connections with the Bloomfield, Foxhall, Revoe and near South Shore area of Blackpool. At the heart of ‘Bloomfield Talks’ is team of local volunteers brought together specifically for the project. Ranging in age from the late teens to the late seventies, the volunteers have engaged other local people in conversations and activities focusing on their daily lives in the area.
As one of the volunteers for the project I will be producing a series of photographs exploring the Illuminations Depot and its character. The depot is soon to be relocated, so this is perhaps the last opportunity to document the site.
I can’t wait...
A selection of ten photographs taken during the Bloomfield Talks Tea Party can now be viewed in the Commissions gallery.
Technical Information
Camera: Canon EOS 40D Digital SLR
Lens: Canon EF-S 17mm - 85mm IS USM
ISO: 320
Focal Length: 35mm
Shutter Speed: 1/125 sec
F-Stop: f/10.0
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Blackpool Illuminations Tour
14/10/08 23:26 Post: Commissions
Taken at 8:37pm during the Blackpool Illuminations Tour. Wednesday 8th October 2008.
The conference was an exciting opportunity to photograph a number of events and presentations. The highlight of the morning was Wayne Hemingway MBE (Co-founder of Red or Dead & Hemingway Design) and his keynote speech (or should that be performance?!). In the afternoon there was an ‘Open Space’ forum which provided a major opportunity for delegates to discuss their ideas and concerns. In the early evening we all gathered for the annual AGM meeting at the Grundy Gallery, set with a beautiful backdrop of the current exhibition from Heather & Ivan Morison entitled ‘The Opposite Of All Those Things’. After the minutes were taken, we walked towards North Pier to be taken for a tram tour of the Blackpool Illuminations. I’ve never been on the tour before, so it was great to finally learn more about about it and take in the whole experience.
Taking photographs in trams at night time is quite a task! There isn’t much available light (surprisingly for an Illuminations tour), however I did my best to use what was there. This is my favourite photograph from the tour and shows the conductor keeping an eye on proceedings.
Technical Information
Camera: Canon EOS 40D Digital SLR
Lens: Canon EF-S 17mm - 85mm IS USM
ISO: 1600
Focal Length: 22mm
Shutter Speed: 1/80 sec
F-Stop: f/4.0
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Blackpool Walking Tour: Ballroom Dancing
15/10/08 21:54 Post: Commissions
Taken at 3:38pm in the Tower Ballroom, Blackpool. Thursday 9th October 2008.
On the second day of the NALGAO conference there were a series of breakout sessions & a variety of tours for delegates. I chose the ‘Blackpool Walking Tour’ in the afternoon and had a fantastic time learning about the heritage & history of the Winter Gardens, Tower Ballroom, Grand Theatre, Grundy Gallery and Teenage Library Space. I took this photograph in the Tower Ballroom and it is a moment I’ve waited to take for a long time. Ballroom dancing used to be huge and I can imagine the ballroom brimming with dancers back in the “old days”. There is certainly a special atmosphere when you step into the Tower Ballroom and I’d love to go back to take some more photographs.
‘Ballroom Dancing’ is available as a limited edition print.
Technical Information
Camera: Canon EOS 40D Digital SLR
Lens: Canon EF-S 17mm - 85mm IS USM
ISO: 1600
Focal Length: 17mm
Shutter Speed: 1/50 sec
F-Stop: f/4.0
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NALGAO Delegates
13/10/08 06:47 Post: Commissions
Taken at 2:27pm in the Spanish Hall at Winter Gardens, Blackpool. Wednesday 8th October 2008.
This is my first blog post featuring a photograph taken during my photography residency at the NALGAO ‘Switched On!’ Conference 2008. The three-day event was held at the spectacular Winter Gardens and was a fantastic experience. The NALGAO conference has become a key date in the national arts calendar and is an important event for local authorities and their delegates. As mentioned in one of my previous posts, this year’s conference focussed upon “the contribution that the arts and creative industries make in building sustainable communities and supporting regeneration”.
The photograph above shows the reactions from delegates during Wayne Hemingway’s (Co-founder of Red or Dead and Hemingway Design) keynote speech (or should that be performance?!). All the keynote speeches were situated in the beautiful art-deco Spanish Hall, which is lavishly themed with its three-dimensional frieze representing an Andalusian village (which you’ll be able to see in my other photographs!).
I will have the final edit from the conference up on the site within the next few days. Many more new photographs to follow (including the marvellous Civic Reception at the Tower Ballroom)...
Technical Information
Camera: Canon EOS 40D Digital SLR
Lens: Canon EF-S 17mm - 85mm IS USM
ISO: 800
Focal Length: 81mm
Shutter Speed: 1/80 sec
F-Stop: f/5.6
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Photographer In Residence: NALGAO Conference
20/09/08 09:15 Post: News
Earlier this month I was commissioned to be the photographer in residence for this year’s NALGAO (National Association of Local Government Arts Officers) conference. The conference is entitled ‘Switched On!” & will focus on “the contribution that the arts and creative industries make in building sustainable communities and supporting regeneration”. This annual event is held at a different venue each year, with this years being held at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool. The photography residency will document a creative account of the event, including keynote speakers, breakout sessions & study tours.
The conference runs from the 8th October - 10th October 2008 and is financially supported by Arts Council England. The event is a partnership between NALGAO, Blackpool Borough Council and other local authorities in the region.
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