My summer of 2021 was spent working on the feature documentary “Statues Redressed” commissioned by Sky Arts in association with Culture Liverpool, filmed and produced by Northern Town TV… the documentary was the brainchild of Eddie Morgan the head of Northern Town TV. The programme aired on the 18th October 2021 (it’s still available on catch up - links below!)
I was involved as the unit stills photographer producing promotional images for both Sky Arts and Culture Liverpool. Their requirement were images of the big reveals, those eye catching shots that hit the news stands - and yes we got our fair share of those as well as a bit of notoriety when Nigel Farage used a photograph of mine of Queen Victoria that featured in The Guardian newspaper to berate Liverpool and the project on GB News! (Queen Victoria in Derby Square was redressed by artist Karen Arthur and historian Laurence Westgaph).
As a documentary photographer I was interested in capturing the “behind the scenes” - how the statues were redressed and how the documentary was made in addition to capturing the big reveals. For me one of the most important behind the scenes was related to the audio installation by artist Harold Offeh of the testimony of Stephen Nze describing the toppling of William Huskisson’s statue in Summer 1982 almost 40 years before Colston! The empty plinth remains as a reminder.
There is actually so much to write about my personal experiences that I could fill a book. I’ve therefore put together a set of images in a gallery to tell the story of the summer through my eyes. They feature the artists and camera crews involved, those who I worked alongside and who produced this fantastic documentary. There are many more images I’ve shot but this should give you a flavour of what happened in Liverpool in my Summer of 2021.
I’m grateful to all those that trusted me in making the images, with big thanks to those that were subjected to my camera during filming. Artists, the crew, Northern Town TV, Culture Liverpool and Sky Arts - so well received Culture Liverpool commissioned an outdoor exhibition of images in Liverpool One!
Thank you…
Gallery link: http://www.image61.com/statues
Official Statues Redressed website: https://www.statuesredressed.com/
Link to the documentary on Sky TV: https://www.sky.com/watch/title/programme/9f7a443c-3505-4c76-b1d8-fd063b6d2b5d
Link to the documentary on NOW TV: https://www.nowtv.com/watch/statues-redressed-2021/A5EK4nmp9qb5yRZ4CF57u
What is “Statues Redressed”? - unashamedly lifted from Sky’s own press release back in July
“Sky Arts is following a group of artists including Bob and Roberta Smith, Chila Kumari Burman, Daniel Lismore, Taya Hughes and Stephen Jones as they take on Liverpool's statues including Liverpool Resurgent (aka Dickie Lewis), Kitty Wilkinson, Benjamin Disraeli, Christopher Columbus and The Beatles.
This summer, Sky Arts will follow a collection of inspiring artists in a unique project as they creatively reimagine some of Liverpool’s most iconic statues, giving them a whole new look by dressing them up or creating art around them.
The documentary special, Statues Redressed, coming to Sky Arts and streaming service NOW in October, will see the artists challenge and celebrate the role of these statues in modern times, as part of the ongoing debate around who and what should be immortalised as public monuments.
Chosen because of its rich history, Liverpool has the highest number of statues in the UK outside of London, including cultural icons like The Beatles through to sporting heroes, royalty, and monuments depicting people linked to slavery and Britain’s colonial past.
Some of the artists’ interventions range from the celebratory to the confrontational, and all will be thought-provoking. As each statue is gradually revealed to the public, spectators will be prompted to look again, think again, and question how we feel about the public art that surrounds us. The artists involved in the project include major artists and heavyweights in the public art scene, as well as rising stars, local artists and designers.”
Phil Edgar-Jones, Director of Sky Arts, said: “Statues have often been a source of discussion and controversy and we all know how live and urgent the questions are around what statues are for, who or what they should represent and who deserves to be memorialised. This collaboration between Sky Arts, Liverpool Council and a cohort of brilliant artists will tackle some of those questions head, on in an entertaining and thoughtful way, with a healthy dose of wit and humour threaded throughout. We’re looking forward to seeing the results and engaging the people of Liverpool in the conversation.”