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It's the oldest city centre building, dating from the early eighteenth century. It was a charity school for almost 200 years and then became the Uk's first arts centre. The architects of this lovely building were Thomas Steers and Edward Litherland. Construction commenced in 1716. www.thebluecoat.org.uk/library
Scanned Fujifilm FP-3000B negative
Taken with Polaroid 420 Automatic Land Camera.
Scanned with my Canon 9000F (which I regret buying, btw - I should have waited and saved for the Epson V700).
This is one of Juniper Press' letterpress machines.
Camera: Olympus Trip 35
Film: Fujicolor Print 400 (Japanese market edition)
I'm really pleased how this one came out.
Looking upward toward light streaming down the concrete and brick shaft of a modern stairwell at the grade 1 listed Bluecoat Gallery in city centre Liverpool.
This is my first ever photo using medium format film - in this case a 50 year old twin lens Minolta Autocord loaded with Ilford XP2 Super 400 B&W film.
12 shots to a roll and a shutter mechanism so smooth and quiet that you can hardly hear it click!
I was so delighted when i picked up the 8" x 8" prints and saw they were okay as I'd been concerned that I'd end up with nothing due to something I'd done wrong loading or exposing the film. Also the camera hadn't been used for a long time and there was no guarantee it would work.
I love the the way in which the camera has handled the change in tones from light to dark.....better than digital?
As seen in an art exhibit featuring western cowboy culture at The Bluecoat Chambers, Liverpool (minus the black frame added in picnik). The fibreboard silhouette stood out slightly from the wall to accommodate the LED rope lighting which was ever changing..... in intensity of colour & alternating with red, the light steady or pulsating. The piece, created by Jim Burton & commissioned by the Bluecoat, is titled "Ode to Juanita Beasley." Whoever she is. Burton lives & works in Denton, Texas
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Founded in 1708, the Liverpool Blue Coat School was built to board & educate orphan children. Its Queen Anne style building (below) was completed in 1725 making it now the oldest building in the city centre & a Grade One established UNESCO World Heritage site. Located on School Lane, renovations & additions over the centuries maintained the building's architectural character. By 1906 the Blue Coat School had outgrown its premises & moved to the Wavertree Village location it still holds today. A year later a group of homeless artists rented space in the empty school & set up a bohemian arts community. The Bluecoat Society of Arts was formed in 1927 to preserve the architectural value of the building & establish a centre for the arts. It survived threat of demolition after sustaining bomb damage in the Blitz of 1941, reopening fully restored in 1958. Now long established as an integral part of Liverpool's cultural life, it houses a working community of artists & hosts both local talent & international figures in a programme of arts related events including visual art exhibits, theatre, dance, concerts, literature, debates, lectures, seminars, many of them free. Beyond the main front door is a coffee bar & a shady central garden courtyard, my favourite spot for quiet cappuccino breaks away from the buzz of the city.
Rolleiflex 3.5f
Ilford∆100+DD-x
Michael John Phoenix
Gave up teaching to make violins.
Gotta love and admire people who follow their dreams.
The former site of Liverpool’s Bluecoat School is the oldest building in the centre of Liverpool. It was built in 1718. The charity school moved to a new site in Wavertree in 1906, while the old building was saved from demolition to become arts centre under various names. This remains its primary use today, now known simply as The Bluecoat. It is Grade 1 listed. (The clock has a single hand to show the hour.)
...she told us about the goddess called Persephone, who was forced to spend half a year in the darkness deep underground. Winter happened when she was trapped inside the earth. ...Spring happened when she was released and made her slow way up to the world again. ...Life dared to come back.
...We thought of Persephone for a while in silence. I imagined her struggling her way towards us. She squeezed through black tunnels... She fought through bedrock and clay and iron ore and coal, through the fossils of ancient creatures, the skeletons of dinosaurs, the buried remains of ancient cities. She burrowed past the tangled roots of great trees. She was torn and bleeding but she kept telling herself to move onward and upward. She told herself that soon she's see the light of the sun again and feel the warmth of the world again.
~ David Almond,
.............
...Here, I've tried to capture the moments after Persephone leaves the underground realm, to join her mother Demeter in the world once more, heralding the beginning of Spring...
...But he's looking at me
There's a cold wind
Blowing down through the meadow
He's the dark
Where the day has been bleeding
The ink
This place has been needing
You close the door
But it still casts a Shadow
~ Thea Gilmore,
Here is Hades, with his sternness, stillness and gravitas...wrapped in furs against the interminable cold. He knows the year has turned, and the time has come once more for her to leave him.
Go, then.
He does not turn to look at her.
Perhaps she pauses before she leaves. Tenderly kisses his cool cheek. Squeezes his hand.
Then runs without looking back, down the dark entrance to the tunnels, towards the promise of light and freedom and warmth again.
There is stillness and the silence of regret after she leaves him. Alone with his thoughts and the discarded pomegranate tree... even faithful Cerberus keeping a respectful distance.
In his own way, perhaps he does loves her.
nobody, not even the rain, has such small hands
Up on the surface, Demeter waits patiently, silently.
Amidst the harshness of winter, the skeleton trees and frosted ground, she feels a warm breath of wind, and lowers her hand to the earth, willing her daughter home. As she watches, a tiny flower blooms before her.
She's coming back.
And Persephone clambers through tangled roots and blackened tunnels, through soil and rockfalls, squeezes through darkness and gossamer cobwebs, along labyrinthine paths, exhausted and afraid, but always indomitable, never stopping, always moving upwards, towards the thin sliver of blue sky above her...
....................
I've wanted to draw Persephone's journey for a long time, but it wasn't until I started re-reading Skellig , and began to read David Almond's most beautiful prequel to the story that images really began to take form in my mind....
Thankyou, David Almond – master storyteller :)
It also took on a certain personal significance, as I'd felt wearied and artistically blocked through much of the past few winter weeks – cold and grey days full of ice and sleet...the urge to simply curl up and hibernate filled my head. And then, terribly sadly - Pete Postlethwaite – an actor and activist I've long respected - suddenly died.
(Goodbye, Prospero.
Rest well, Scaramouche Jones.)
But light and creative inspiration and lift came from many places, reminding me of the importance of re-invention, of finding new ways to see, to craft and to create:
It came from my lovely friend Sarah (activist, feminist, founder member of the Craftivist Collective, and all-round brilliantly inspiring lady).
The Craftivist Collective, along with the West Everton Community Council and One World Week, co-held a Bed-In in early December, as part of a series at the wonderful Bluecoat here in Liverpool - which it was my great pleasure to join in with.
That afternoon, Sarah quickly taught me how to cross-stitch, and I found myself amongst a welcome and warm throng of cheerful craftivists, all hob-nobbing, singing, sipping tea, taking turns in the Bed, and exchanging stories, all the while stitching mini-patches for a peace quilt.
During the afternoon many patches were accumulated, a myriad rainbow – stitched messages of hope and peace and solidarity and love.
Rarely have I felt so quickly inspired, or taken part in such a gentle, effective and practical act of activism. I am now a confirmed craftivist and have been stitching away ever since.
...from admiring the amazing creations of Neill Gorton – prosthetics designer and special effects make-up expert. He and his team must have the most incredible imaginations, as they conceive of and sculpt monsters and devils, werewolves, Daleks, Ood - and all manner of tentacled beasties - in silicone and rubber...
And sometimes Neill - who has the most eloquent hands – even seems to sculpt in the light air as he talks and demonstrates.... the folds of skin emerge before you, the weight of jowls, the sharp teeth, the flows of hair.
...and admiring the work of Toby Sedgwick – actor and movement director - who has hands of quicksilver. They breathe movement into horses and men and clowns. The subtle fluidity of a dancer, weight and stiffness of age, the toss of a proud equine head, or bright agile steps of a harlequin.
Let us call now, for the makers of strong images....
...let us not forget.
They make the images. We give them flesh.
Their dedication to their art is incredibly admirable.
We need our creators of monsters and heroes and men. They keep the stories alive.
...from Betsy Greer – who says everything I would ever want to say (only she does it much better) about politics, life, crafting, creativity and more...
Her wise and kind musing on the best thing to do if you’re unemployed (although it also applies if you find yourself in a creative rut) gave me the final boost I needed to pick up pen and paper again:
Wake up at a reasonable hour. Shower. Wear something that makes you happy. Do your hair. Put on lipstick. Breathe. Learn. Remember you are just where you need to be. Go outside, take a deep breath. Now go kick some ass.
(Thankyou, Betsy.)
And very lastly, from Ian Dury and the Blockheads. This never, ever fails to cheer me up.
Specially as it mentions the Marx Brothers.
:)
For a bigger view, click here.
"In 1190 the Hospital of St. John the Baptist was founded on the site of the current Bluecoat building. This was an ecclesiastical foundation, with a prior, brethren and lay servants living under a religious rule, and in 1241 permission was granted for the building of a chapel.
The hospital had a chequered history with several phases of neglect and impoverishment, but it is known that around the middle of the fourteenth century there were thirteen beds kept ready for the city’s poor and that each inmate was to receive a daily allowance of a loaf of bread, a dish of pottage, half a gallon of ale and a piece of meat or fish."
Address: Bluecoat Square, Upper Northgate St, Chester CH1 4EE
Bluecoat Chambers, formerly The Bluecoat School, School Lane, Liverpool. Built in 1717 it is by far the oldest building in Liverpool City Centre.
Pictured here in January 2024.
To buy this or other similar images:
Founded in 1708, the Liverpool Blue Coat School was built to board & educate orphan children, its Queen Anne style building completed in 1725, making it now the oldest building in the city centre & a Grade One established UNESCO World Heritage site. Located on School Lane, renovations & additions over the centuries maintained the building's architectural character. By 1906 the Blue Coat School had outgrown its premises & moved to the Wavertree Village location it still holds today. A year later a group of homeless artists rented space in the empty school & set up a bohemian arts community. The Bluecoat Society of Arts was formed in 1927 to preserve the architectural value of the building & establish a centre for the arts. It survived threat of demolition after sustaining bomb damage in the Blitz of 1941, reopening fully restored in 1958. Now long established as an integral part of Liverpool's cultural life, it houses a working community of artists & hosts both local talent & international figures in a programme of arts related events including visual art exhibits, theatre, dance, concerts, literature, debates, lectures, seminars, many of them free. Beyond the main front door is a coffee bar & a lovely outdoor garden courtyard, my favourite place for quiet cappuccino breaks away from the buzz of the city.
Bluecoat Chambers, School Lane, Liverpool, UK.
Begun in 1716, it's the oldest surviving building in the city centre, and Grade I Listed.
Presumably floodlit like this to celebrate its 300th birthday.
Chicago Underground Duo
Book :
Janek Schaefer
Sound Art
A Retrospective
The Bluecoat
2011
'Janek Schaefer's first sound-work, Recorded Delivery, remains one of the wittiest and most interesting in the field of Sound-Art. It is elegant, economical and clever, and makes me wish I'd thought of it first.'
Brian Eno
CD :
Arve Henriksen
Cartography
ECM Records
ECM2086
Photography . Thomas Wunsch
Design . Sascha Kleis
iTunes :
Pan Sonic
Long Exposures
Blast First
BFFP180
GMA Avec The Long Exposures ...
The Bluecoat is one of Liverpool's most distinctive buildings. Grade 1 listed and is the oldest building in Liverpool City Centre.
Queen Anne Style architecture, work began in 1716 and was finally completed in 1725.
For the history of The Bluecoat, see :
Tucked away within the Bluecoat Centre, Liverpool, you will find this haven of peace and calm - ideal for chillaxing.
The actual building is the oldest in Liverpool City Centre, built circa 1716.
See :
Bud & Chester / Heft-Reihe
Die Schlammschlacht von Sacramento
(Originaltitel: Les Bleus dans la gadoue)
Bastei-Verlag (Bergisch Gladbach / Deutschland; 1981)
Copyright: Salve/Cauvin; Lambil/Cauvin and S.E.P.P. (Brüssel / Belgien)
ex libris MTP
arts rental spaces both sides of the front courtyard of Bluecoat Chambers.... one of Liverpool's oldest symbolic 'liver birds' can be seen as a detail above the blue door's architectural framing.
Liverpool FC's brand new art exhibition celebrating the club's illustrious history and rich heritage opened its doors at the city's Bluecoat centre on Saturday, May 14.
Over the next 12 months, the 'Reds Gallery' will showcase a series of exclusive photographic exhibitions which include iconic LFC images, commissioned pieces as well as alternative images influenced by acclaimed artists and the award winning photographer Steve Hale, who followed the Reds for over 30 years. The Reds Gallery will change its exhibition every three months.
`The Famous LFC Boot Room` - May 14 - August 11, 2011 is the first exhibition which features photographs of the key people involved in the legendary LFC Boot Room.
Measuring approximately 12 foot x 12 foot, the Boot Room became a think tank behind a force that would dominate English football throughout the sixties, seventies and eighties.
Led by legendary managers Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley, with a supporting cast of Reuben Bennett, Joe Fagan, Ronnie Moran and Roy Evans, a philosophy was forged that took Liverpool FC to the very pinnacle of domestic and European Football.
The second exhibition entitled 'We Never Walked Alone' which runs from August 11 - November 2011 traces the inspiration, humour and celebrations of Liverpool FC's adoring fans and the role they've played in the success of the club over the decades.
Entrance to the gallery, which is open seven days a week, is free.
This installation at the Bluecoat, as part of Liverpool's Biennial, is a game of hide & seek, transitioning from a childhood activity to the realm of adult fantasy. The artist, Nicholas Hlodo, has created a maze of colourful ribbons hanging from the ceiling. But the colour turns to darkness as the seeker progresses deeper into the room, only to discover the other players.
Bud & Chester / Heft-Reihe
Der Prärie-Reporter von Laramy
(Originaltitel: Des Bleus en noir et blanc)
Bastei-Verlag (Bergisch Gladbach / Deutschland; 1981)
Copyright: Salve/Cauvin; Lambil/Cauvin and S.E.P.P. (Brüssel / Belgien)
ex libris MTP
Bud & Chester / Heft-Reihe
Der texanische Seiltrick
(Originaltitel: Et pour quinze cents dollars en plus)
Bastei-Verlag (Bergisch Gladbach / Deutschland; 1981)
Copyright: Salve/Cauvin; Lambil/Cauvin and S.E.P.P. (Brüssel / Belgien)
ex libris MTP
Mr Sgraffito - facing the camera
Artist - Bernadette O'Toole
Sponsor - The Bluecoat
Moby
Artists - Markus Soukup and Nathan Jones
Sponsor - Fazakerley Ward
Location - Bluecoat Chambers Courtyard
A walk in Liverpool City Centre, from the Waterfront (The Strand) to the Civic Buildings.
Queen Square Bus Station on Hood Street in Liverpool.
So Close ... The Bluecoat, School Lane.
(Not been to this one).
Just because it's nice - Bluecoat Chambers, built as a charity school in 1717, now it's an Arts' Centre.
San Francisco, California
Taken with my cell phone
thebluecoat.tumblr.com/post/76926980838/san-francisco-cal...
www.vanilladays.com/gallery/2011/05/rezz_at_the_bluecoat/
My latest project and first solo exhibition in years is now live. It's called Rezz. Its a cross medium digital / analogue project involving Hipstamatic, Gowalla and the Bluecoat. There are 8 prints upstairs at the Bluecoat. Thats only the start of this ambitious project.
Rezz is an interactive photography project discussing the ways in which we interact both online and offline. It asks the question whether social media helps or hinders our ability to interact with each other.
The project achieves this through the use of portraits of random strangers taken on the streets of Liverpool with an iPhone. These portraits are embedded in the real world and the virtual world for people to discover and interact with through a use of the location app Gowalla.
The use of Gowalla is integral to this project. By using this app anyone can physically visit the location of the portrait. They can live and breath the location of the portrait.
Once someone has found a ‘Rezz’ spot in Gowalla and visited it the project invites them to submit a photograph of their own. There is nothing to stop them going up to someone and asking to take their photograph, nothing except potential social issues. In doing this they are literally put into my shoes in a way that normal photography exhibitions cannot do. They may feel the same fears that I did in going up to a stranger and asking to take their photo. It isn’t easy going up to a stranger and asking to take their portrait, but it is easy to say hello to a stranger on Twitter. The project allows people to experience these issues first hand and think about them.