'Liverpool Road' is more of a minimal piece within Tim Garner's collection. Uncomplicated, redolent of L.S Lowry, the name nods to the world’s first railway station up the road from c.1830; the terminus of the Manchester-Liverpool line. The perpendicular lines of the gas street lamps foreshadow the iconic Beetham Tower on the horizon, which looms hazily over this glimpse into Salford life.
- Media: mixed media on board framed
- Dimensions: 91 x 78cm
- Price: £3400.00
'Liverpool Road' is more of a minimal piece within Tim Garner's collection. Uncomplicated, redolent of L.S Lowry, the name nods to the world’s first railway station up the road from c.1830; the terminus of the Manchester-Liverpool line. The perpendicular lines of the gas street lamps foreshadow the iconic Beetham Tower on the horizon, which looms hazily over this glimpse into Salford life. Although a landmark of the Manchester skyline, Garner has pushed the Beetham Tower to the back of the composition, moving our focus onto the traditional red brick architecture, which is vital to Manchester's history. With family from Salford, Garner fondly depicts this area throughout his oeuvre, and often prefers painting Salford over the typical city-centre landmarks of Manchester. This aspect is a big appeal within his works - it gives them a visceral sense of integrity, and gives a platform to parts of a city that often go disregarded, but are equally as important to a city's identity. “It’s a value I try to adhere to – the principal ethics of making art – being honest with your viewer” Garner ensures his paintings of Manchester are authentic and honourable - he understands the importance of community and identity, particularly within working-class areas such as Salford - his works respect and uplift this. His own personal memories of Salford are reflected in the sincerity of this piece - Garner clearly knows this area like the back of his hand, and is respectful of its rich history. Industrial materials such as metals and cement are often used by Garner to appropriate the gritty physicality of a cityscape. Garner wants us to feel as though we're in the city streets ourselves - as though the concrete would leave a residue on our fingers if we were to reach out and touch it. Working with a toolkit of metallics and iridescent paints, Garner’s works are multidimensional; they're full of light and depth, made using a rigorous process of applying layer upon layer of thinly mixed grounds and iridescent pigments onto the surface. This process can take any time from 10 days to 3 weeks to complete, with each layer capturing and reflecting light in its own unique way. Here, Garner has captured a still moment in time, a snapshot of a mundane, anti-landmark of the city, expanded to a work of fine art. A piece of Mancunian history, this celebration of the everyday is a prominent theme throughout Garner’s oeuvre, establishing a visceral and distinctive air of honesty within his works.
Based in his home studio in Stockport, Tim Garner is an artist who captures cityscapes through his own avant-garde lens. Inspired from his time living between Manchester and Paris, Garner works from photography and photo collage as his primary references, taking advantage of their visual immediacy and accuracy. Paint and cement are then used as a way of injecting emotive layers of meaning, forming Garner's distinctive style and flair. Through this process Garner has established his own visual language, which is imbued with character. His works are comfortingly familiar to a Northern audience, whilst enlightening and educating wider audiences. A piece of Mancunian history, this artwork would be a valuable asset for any contemporary art space, collection or home.