Stars come to Southport's Vincent Hotel
May 30 2008 by Alan Weston, Liverpool Daily Post
Stars come to Southport in the eyes of an expert
GUESTS at a new £13m designer hotel in the centre of Southport will be sharing accommodation with the likes of David Bowie, Eva Herzigova, and Heather Mills.
They are among the images taken by international fashion photographer Tony McGee gracing the 60-room Vincent Hotel, in Lord Street, which opened its doors to its first guests yesterday.
Mr McGee’s work has gone on display in the hotel’s exclusive “members bar” which has been named after him, as well as being placed in the reception area and in individual rooms.
Among the varied images from around the world are pictures of Cuban ballerinas and boxers training in a disused warehouse on the streets of Havana, fire-eaters and an Indian wise man.
Mr McGee has had his work featured in magazines such as Vogue, Time, and Rolling Stone, and is also a leading advertising photographer.
The images were chosen jointly by the photographer and the hotel’s owner Paul Adams, who also runs the Warehouse brasserie, in Southport.
Mr McGee said: “Each of my photographs has a story behind it and I look forward to visiting the hotel and being able to talk to people about them.
“It’s great to have your work recognised not only from an industry perspective but from a social perspective.
“Paul and I have chosen a selection of my work to exhibit at The Vincent, some which are quite daring and provocative, some which will make you laugh, and some which will make you want to know more.
“For me, the Vincent is a blank canvas to showcase my work to people who wouldn’t usually see my photographs. Fashion photography in the UK is often London-centric, so some industry observers may be surprised I have chosen to do this in a traditional northern seaside resort.
“But my photography is all about capturing unexpected moments in life and I think launching the Tony McGee Bar, in somewhere like Southport, reflects this philosophy.”
The Vincent is the first hotel to be opened by Paul Adams, who has spent all his life in the hospitality industry.
He said: “I didn’t want to have any painted work at all, and Tony’s artwork is tremendous.
“I wanted the hotel to have a cool, exciting feel. Southport needed another offering, and that’s what we’re giving it.”
alanweston
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