Open Eye Gallery

Coordinates: 53°24′13″N 2°59′37″W / 53.4037°N 2.9936°W / 53.4037; -2.9936
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Open Eye Gallery
Replica of Stonehenge in the foyer of the gallery, used as the scene of performance art during the summer of 2018
Map
Established1977 (1977)
Location19 Mann Island, Liverpool Waterfront, Liverpool L3 1BP
Coordinates53°24′13″N 2°59′37″W / 53.4037°N 2.9936°W / 53.4037; -2.9936
TypeRegistered charity
CollectionsBert Hardy, Edith Tudor-Hart, Chris Steele-Perkins, Tom Wood[1]
Collection size1600 prints from 100 photographers[2]
DirectorSarah Fisher[3]
ArchitectRCKa
Websiteopeneye.org.uk

Open Eye Gallery is a photography gallery and archive in Liverpool, UK[4] that was established in 1977.[5] It is housed in a purpose-built building on the waterfront at Mann Island,[5] its fourth location.

Open Eye Gallery comprises an exhibition space on one floor and an archive space on another,[2] and has large-scale graphic art installations on its external facade.[2] It is the only gallery dedicated to photography and related media in North West England.[5] It is a non-profit organisation[4] and a registered charity.[6]

History[edit]

Open Eye Gallery first opened in Whitechapel, Liverpool (1977–1988); then Bold Street (1989–1995); then Wood Street (1996[6]–2011); and finally Mann Island (2011–present).[2][7][8][9] Its current building was purpose-built.[5][9][10]

Lorenzo Fusi was appointed its artistic director in 2013.[5] Sarah Fisher replaced him as executive director in 2015.[11]

Notable photographers and exhibitions shown[edit]

Open Eye Archive[edit]

Open Eye Gallery has a "considerable archive"[5] of predominantly portraiture and documentary photography.[2] "Formed in 1980, the Open Eye Archive is made up of the work of more than 100 photographers and comprises around 1600 prints."[2]

Significant bodies of work are held by Bert Hardy (Chinese Hostel (1942) and Is There a British Colour Bar? (1949)),[1] Edith Tudor-Hart,[1] Tom Wood,[1][26] Chris Steele-Perkins (The Pleasure Principle),[2] Michelle Sank (The Water's Edge),[1][26] and John McDonald.[1]

Work is also held by[1] John Davies,[1] Gabriele Basilico, Vanley Burke, Bruce Gilden, E. Chambré Hardman, Peter Kennard, Mari Mahr, Peter Marlow, Joel Meyerowitz, Simon Norfolk, Martin Parr,[26] Ewen Spencer, Ed van der Elsken, John Edwards),[26] Ian Beesley, Steve Conlan, Philippe Conti, Will Curwen, Paul Fazackerley, Steve Hale, Sean Halligan,[26] Thurston Hopkins, Greg Leach, Peter Hagerty, Harry Hammond, Derek Massey, Neil McDowall, Rob Meighen, Paul O'Donnell, Caroline Penn, Michael Robinson, Ludwig Schirmer, Samantha Seneviratne, Patrick Shanahan, John Stoddart,[26] Wolfgang Suschitzky, Jan Svenungsson, Ali Taptik,[26] Sandy Volz, Wojtek Wilczyk, Rob Williams, and David Reid.[26]

Publication[edit]

  • The Water's Edge. By Michelle Sank and Joanne Lacey. Liverpool: Open Eye; Liverpool University, 2007. ISBN 978-1-84631-084-3. With a foreword by Patrick Henry, essays by Joanne Lacey, and a text by Roy Exley. Portraits by Sank of women who work, or worked, on the Liverpool waterfront. Published on the occasion of an exhibition.[1]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Archive – Open Eye Gallery". Open Eye Gallery. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Michael, Apphia (7 November 2011). "New Open Eye Gallery space, Liverpool". Wallpaper. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  3. ^ "People – Open Eye Gallery". Open Eye Gallery. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  4. ^ a b c Spence, Rachel. "Letizia Battaglia: Breaking the Code of Silence". Financial Times. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Robertson, Laura; Pinnington, Mike (28 March 2014). "Top 10 arts venues in Liverpool". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  6. ^ a b "Who's in the House: Live in harmony". The Independent. 31 July 1999. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  7. ^ "History – Open Eye Gallery". Open Eye Gallery. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  8. ^ "Aesthetica Magazine – Open Eye Gallery Liverpool Presents, Mitch Epstein; Chris Steele-Perkins, Opening 5 November". Aesthetica. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  9. ^ a b c d "Picture preview: The Open Eye Gallery reopens". The Independent. 4 November 2011. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  10. ^ "Open Eye Gallery". RCKa. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  11. ^ "Open Eye gets new boss". Confidentials. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  12. ^ "A hard art to swallow". The Independent. 9 May 1995. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  13. ^ O'Hagan, Sean (28 May 2006). "Photography: Jacob Aue Sobol: Sabine, Liverpool Open Eye Gallery". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  14. ^ O'Hagan, Sean (22 January 2012). "Open Eye Liverpool's current shows – in pictures". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  15. ^ Sharp, Rob (30 August 2013). "Tim Hetherington: The humanity of war". The Independent. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  16. ^ "Alvin Baltrop's NYC pier photos to be shown at Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool". Gscene. 14 November 2013. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  17. ^ Jones, Catherine (5 January 2017). "Fascinating photographs of Liverpool street fashion at the Open Eye Gallery". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  18. ^ Dazed (30 November 2016). "How the north of England impacted style". Dazed. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  19. ^ "exploring the north of england's influence on fashion and visual culture". I-d. 2 November 2016. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  20. ^ Chilvers, Simon (4 January 2017). "Northern soul: a fashion showcase". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  21. ^ "Ferry across the memories: all aboard the Mersey crossing – in pictures". The Guardian. 24 January 2018. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  22. ^ "Changing faces on the ferry across the Mersey". BBC News. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  23. ^ "Tom Wood's The Pier Head goes on show at Open Eye Gallery – British Journal of Photography". British Journal of Photography. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  24. ^ "Kinship at Open Eye Gallery | Spectrum Photographic". Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  25. ^ "Images capture challenges of 2020s Britain, photographer says". BBC News. 12 January 2023. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  26. ^ a b c d e f g h Moreton-LE, Nick (28 May 2015). "Open Eye exhibition at Kirkby Gallery". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 6 April 2018.

Further reading[edit]

External links[edit]

53°24′13″N 2°59′37″W / 53.4037°N 2.9936°W / 53.4037; -2.9936