Lou Stoppard and Adam Murray give us the low down on their new exhibition “North: Identity, Photography, Fashion”.
Photograph by Alice Hawkins, Derrin Crawford & Demi Leigh Cruickshank in ‘The Liver Birds’ LOVE magazine, Liverpool, 2012
Launching Liverpool’s Open Eye Gallery 40th birthday celebrations is a brand new exhibition exploring the influence of the North of England on fashion, media and culture, titled “North: Identity, Photography, Fashion”. Curated by Lou Stoppard and Adam Murray, the exhibition explores the extremely varied, innovative and iconic way that the North is depicted and celebrated, through photographs, artworks and fashion collections from artists both from the area and international designers inspired by the cult appeal of the North.
Featuring some of fashion and visual art’s most innovative image makers, from early photography from Jamie Hawkesworth and Alasdair McLellan to historic prints from Glen Luchford (including that The Stone Roses shoot from The Face 1989) and Corinne Day (as well as work by contemporary Turner prize winners Mark Leckey and Jeremy Deller), the exhibition goes deep in the reasons behind why Northern style, art and music has such a cultural influence.
A main focal point of “North: Identity, Photography, Fashion” is the influence that Northern style has had on fashion; the exhibition features work by New Power Studio, Christopher Shannon, John Skelton, Raf Simons and an icon of Northern fashion – archive Adidas trainers. If that wasn’t enough, there’s new collaborative work from the likes of Virgil Abloh and Hacienda designer Ben Kelly, as well as a series of interviews with Northern born and bred talents (produced by SHOWStudio) featuring Claire Barrow, Simon Foxton, Stephen Jones and Christopher Shannon.
Wonderland caught up with Lou Stoppard and Adam Murray to discuss “North: Identity, Photography, Fashion.”
Raf Simons AW 2003 Image courtesy of Raf Simons
How did come to work together on North?
AM: Lou and I were keen to collaborate on a project. The North of England has been central to my practice for years so I brought a very specific knowledge. Lou is interested more broadly in how fashion relates to culture and society and has previously worked on projects that explore these themes. We both shared an interest in the link between space and cultural output.
LS: As Adam says, North began because Adam and I share and interesting in the link between place and creative output. I began as a project on SHOWstudio and then moved into a physical exhibition at Open Eye. Both my parents are from the North – Liverpool and Manchester – so the region holds a special place in my heart.
Why did you feel it was important to unpick the tropes and themes that appear in Northern design and media?
AM: The time seemed appropriate now because as the exhibition shows, there is a proliferation of work that directly relates to the North of England. There is also a lot of political focus on the North of England with the recent Northern Powerhouse concept and then of course Brexit. So it feels like the time to use an exhibition of this kind to create discussion about a range of topical issues.
LS: I think the thing we’re really trying to do is get to the root of why the North of England has a particular aesthetic or set of visual and cultural codes in people’s mind. I think this is definitely the case – you see the same themes reappearing again and again in work; masculinity, music, domesticity, sportswear. I was interested in why so much of what the North is celebrated for is so male and, to an extent, so white. We wanted to showcase and question those ideas. Is it about debunking myths? To an extent. But it’s also about celebrating them and acknowledging them. I think there’s also a wider ambition to make a case for the interesting link between place and aesthetic, space and style. This exhibition is as much about identity as it is fashion or style.
Photograph by Jason Evans, Untitled, Manchester, 1997
Why do you think the North is such a hot bed of cultural progression?
AM: It has such a rich social and cultural heritage. Some of the recurring motifs that feature in the exhibition have their roots in the industrial revolution period of the 19th century, but so many important cultural, political and social movements began in the north of England. In the original interviews that we have produced for North, key fashion figures also discuss the impact that growing up in the region has had on their practice and there is a variety of reasons. But, for me, there is a sense of being out of London gives work a different perspective.
How did you make the selection of the brands and artists that are on display?
AM: In terms of photography there are certainly a group of contemporary fashion image makers that deal with Northern England a lot in their work, for example, Alasdair McLellan, Alice Hawkins, and Jamie Hawkesworth. So they were a must to include. Other photography is in the form of magazine spreads and some is more documentary based. It’s been a real treat to use work from the Open Eye Gallery archive as this is by a lot of photographers that are less well known to many audiences but have produced some very valuable work.
LS: I’m thrilled to have such a range of people featured. To have contemporary fashion photographers such as Glen Luchford, David Sims and Alasdair McLellan showing alongside Turner-prize winning artists such as Mark Leckey and Jeremy Deller and designers like Raf Simons and Paul Smith is fantastic. Then there’s all the archive and documentary material – amazing names like Shirley Baker and John Bulmer. I’m also happy with the international scope – the fact we are looking at how ideas of the North have spread far and wide. Why is an Antwerp-born designer like Raf Simons – one of fashion’s most acclaimed talents – so intrigued by the culture of the region? Why is Chicago-born streetwear guru Virgil Abloh interested? I’m happy to be able to explore that.
What was the reason behind mixing contemporary Northern media and design with vintage designs and archive photography, and how do you think Northern styles have changed in the time period you are looking at?
AM: It is such a vast subject that it was vital that we included a range of different objects, so but including such a diverse mix we are intending to create a dialogue between it all. So placing archive documentary photography alongside contemporary fashion editorials such encourage the audience to reflect and ask questions about these choices.
How have you presented the identity of the North of England in the exhibition?
AM: It impossible to say that the identity is presented as one specific thing, so what I hope we have presented it as is a number of different interpretations has great power and international relevance.
Photograph by Stephen McCoy, from the series Skelmersdale, 1984
What themes surrounding the North did you particularly want to consider, and why were they of the most importance?
LS: We tried to consider themes and motifs that a broader audience can engage with. In terms of what I hope to achieve, I hope the show speaks to people. There is a climate in fashion exhibitions at the moment for the blockbuster, or the single designer retrospective. There’s certainly a place for these, but often I think these kinds of exhibitions show some kind of far-off, fantasy version of fashion that people can only aspire to or dream of. I hope people come to this show and recognise things that they experienced first hand – songs they danced to, streets they walked, clothes they wore, clubs they visited, icons they adored. It sounds simple, but I want it to mean something to people.
How do you think the North has influenced the media and design worlds?
LS: During our research into the exhibition, Adam and I have spent a lot of time discussing how the North of England is a bit like Paris or Rio, even if you haven’t been there before you have an idea of what it’s like – the architecture, the smells, the streets. I do think people have certain images in their head of the region – often they relate to elements of working class culture, youth culture or very masculine pursuits like football. I think the region does mean different things to different people. To some it’s encapsulated in key bands or icons and their output, to others it’s to do with style and fashion moments such as casual culture, for others it could be nostalgia for a past time. In different ways, all those distinct themes are explored within the show.
The exhibition is being held in Liverpool at the Open Eye Gallery – apart from that it’s in the North, why did you want to move the exhibition’s main location away from London?
AM: 2017 is the 40th anniversary year for Open Eye Gallery, an organisation that has been an important supporter of photographic culture in North West England. Lou and I were very keen to first stage this exhibition in the North of England so Open Eye Gallery was really our first choice. It is run by a very dedicated, but small, group of people so we have been able to develop a close working relationship, particularly with Curator Thomas Dukes and Executive Director Sarah Fisher.
Do you think there’s a coherence in voice of Northern artists, throughout fashion, art and photography?
AM: The inspiration, reference points and work may be very different, but for me, the coherence is in the investment that the artists have in engaging with the region.
Photography Brett Dee, The Anarchy Issue, no. 82, 1990
“North: Identity, Photography, Fashion” is open at Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool from 6 January-19 March 2017.
Exhibition Photography: Adam Murray
Words: Annabel Lunnon
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