We headed for Liverpool to the National Exhibition of the Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers. The quality of the exhibits was just amazing. Some of the craft work was just incredible. Unfortunately I have no photos to show you, so you'll have to take my word for it. However I recommend that if you are at all local then you go and have a look. My one irritation with the exhibition was that while there was a handout telling you who's work each piece was and what Guild they belonged to, there was nothing with the work to indicate how it was made, or what materials were used. If you wanted to know that - and of course we did - then you had to go and look it up in a folder by the reception. Wouldn't it have been more helpful and informative to put a little card by each piece with that information, or to have that info in the handout?
Also, a little note here to the people of Liverpool, or at least the people organising the Capital of Culture thingy - how about a few signs to the venues? Trying to find the Cornerstone Gallery at Hope University was a tad challenging to say the least. I have to ask exactly how people can find a gallery if the only sign is above the door, which is concealed round a corner, behind a closed gate?
Anyway the exhibition is full of wonderful and inspiring work - weaving, handspun, knitting, embroidery, quilting - you name it, it was there. I feel very inspired and wish I had half of the talent these people have.
From there we moved on and spent an hour or so mooching around the Albert Dock. I was rather disappointed in this. When I was last there (must be more than 20 years ago!), it was full of lots of arty crafty little shops selling lovely jewellery etc. Now it seems to be just a tourist trap. But we wandered through the Museum of Slavery which was interesting, and had a cup of coffee and watched the people.
Then we moved on to what for me was the highlight of the day. We went to Crosby to Anthony Gormley's amazing art installation, Another Place. That's the one with the 100 iron men standing on the beach looking out to sea. It is totally wonderful. I really, really wished I had taken my camera. I took a couple of shots with my cellphone but I have no idea how to download them onto the computer so I have pinched a photo from Sefton Council's website. I'm sure they won't mind.
I really want to go back when there's no-one else around. I love big deserted beaches anyway, and this is a great beach, but I'd love to see the figures all disappearing off into the distance, all staring seaward, without the many, many people, children and dogs that were there on a sunny, but terribly windy Sunday afternoon.
It's well worth the trip.
1 comment:
looks like you had a great time:))
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