A LIVERPOOL gallery is offering the chance to bid for a “mini-masterpiece” as postcards designed by world-renowned artists and celebrities go up for auction today.

Postcards designed and donated by the likes of Sir Peter Blake, Mike McCartney, Holly Johnson and Paul O’Grady have gone on sale in a blind bid – where the bidders don’t know who designed each postcard.

The brainchild of Jason Jones, manager of the Cornerstone Gallery, the ‘Pre-paid’ exhibition will donate all proceeds to the Artists’ Benevolent Institution.

The starting price will be £10.

Contributors’ names were kept under wraps until this week’s launch but Eileen Cooper, one of Britain’s major figurative artists; Liverpool artist Terry Duffy, Birkdale artist Derek Culley and Martin Greenland, winner of the prestigious John Moores Prize have also created mini-works of art.

Mr Jones said: “Over the past two years, the reputation and the prestige of the gallery has grown and we wanted to host a unique and high-profile exhibition at the end of Capital of Culture.

“We sent out 150 postcards to artists and people associated with the gallery and received more than 80 back.

“I was so surprised by the quality and the designs as the idea was completely up to the artists.

“Some have drawn sketches, others have reconstructed the postcard and some are 3D, there are cityscapes, self portraits, all styles of art.

“If bidders are familiar with a individual artist’s technique and style they may be able to identify the possible artist, although some artists have created postcards completely different from what you might expect.”

The postcards will only be exhibited for a week until next Friday when Paul O’Keeffe will host the blind auction.

He said: “This exhibition, which has attracted the likes of Sir Peter Blake and Eileen Cooper alongside local artists, shows the respect artists have for the Cornerstone and the dedication of Jason.

“Creating the postcard was a real challenge because it’s flimsy paper and looking at what others have done I wish I’d have put mine on a board as well.

“It was really interesting getting into it, but it was hard as my works are bigger, including a 30ft long piece I exhibited last year.

“I spent a couple of weeks on the postcard and playing with the paper and now, seeing some of the other works I think this is by far the best exhibition of the year.

“I would recommend anyone to visit the exhibition because the pictures on the website really don’t do the works justice, they are hung beautifully and as they say, size doesn’t matter.”

The postcards are available to view at www.hope.ac.uk/cornerstonegallery/postcards until 4pm on December 12.

The Cornerstone Gallery on Haigh Street is open Monday to Friday for viewings from 9am-5pm.

laurasharpe