Artist unveils Liverpool's new cityscape

Apr 29 2008 by Vicky Anderson, Liverpool Daily Post

THIS is the first look at the completed Liverpool Cityscape. Artist Ben Johnson’s stunning 16ft x 8ft panorama of the city will go on display at the Walker art gallery, alongside his complex paintings of other world-renowned cities, from May 24.

The Cityscape, which takes in nearly 1,000 of the city centre’s major buildings and some of those further afield such as the football stadiums, is the result of three years of work, which until some weeks ago he had been completing as the public came to watch him and his team at the Walker.

It was completed under wraps so those who had been following its progress would be surprised by the finished product.

Llandudno-born and London-based Johnson said: “I’m looking forward to seeing people’s reactions. In the last two weeks I put in the new Museum of Liverpool, finished off the Pier Head and put back some of the statues I thought people would like to see – just pulling it all together.

“Almost the very last thing I did was the Liver Birds. It was always my intention that would be the last thing, because they are so symbolic of Liverpool because of the mythology of the birds that if they ever leave the building the city will disappear.

“ I wanted to make sure that if ever the paint were to fade, the last thing to fade would be the Liver Birds.”

About 45,000 people went to the Walker to see Johnson work on the Cityscape.

He was even lent an artistic hand by the great and the good of Liverpool, with Lord Mayor Cllr Paul Clark adding the hands on the clock on the Municipal Building to read 12.07 (marking the 800th birthday of the city) and Phil and Alexis Redmond, who commissioned the painting with National Museums Liverpool (NML) and the Culture Company, adding the time on the Liver Building to read 20.08 to mark Capital of Culture year.

Johnson paid tribute to his 28 Liverpool volunteers, who gave their time to help explain the work to the public and who even ended up pitching in on the piece.

He said: “I have had such wonderful responses from people who just really feel something for the painting. There was hardly any antagonism or questioning it. Most people realised what it was – a celebration of the city of Liverpool.

“It was so amazing to hear the conversations that would start up between people who were absolute strangers but left almost as friends – it was a very good experience opening the gallery.

“It confirms my own belief that art is not a selfish activity, and is something that belongs to the wider community.”

The work took Johnson and his seven full-time assistants, including wife Sheila, three years “and about five days”.

The complex process used precise stencils of intricate computer-generated drawings of buildings to mark the canvas.

Johnson is also pleased with the comprehensive outreach programme of activities planned for the community by NML and will be returning on a number of occasions to give talks.

“I was working on the project 100% of the time, and now it feels rather odd – like when the last of your children leaves home and the house suddenly seems very quiet. But I’m fortunate to be able to visit Liverpool a lot and I really feel it is like a second, spiritual home.”

The exhibition, Ben Johnson’s Liverpool Cityscape 2008 and the World Panorama Series, will run until November 2.

As well as Johnson’s work, the exhibition will include a small selection of historic views of Liverpool, demonstrating the long-standing tradition into which the new cityscape fits.

In making The Liverpool Cityscape he took more than 3000 reference photographs, considered alternative viewpoints, consulted architects and historians, as well as the people of Liverpool, and absorbed the city’s atmosphere.

Thousands of detailed drawings were produced before the execution of the image in minute detail.

Of the collection, Johnson says it will be the “first and possibly only time” these paintings will be in the same place.

“It is really very difficult to do when you have got to borrow from very private collectors, like the one lending the painting of Zurich.

“A very prominent collector and philanthropist is lending the painting of Jerusalem, who commissioned it to focus on uniting the three faiths of the city.

“The Hong Kong picture is being lent by the Chinese government, so I am very lucky everybody has been so generous.”

After the exhibition, the Liverpool Cityscape will go on permanent exhibition in the new Museum of Liverpool.

vickyanderson