Always keen for a themed photo project, David Simper, took his twin lens reflex film camera down to the town centre to see what he could make of Blackpool’s public art collection.
Even among local people, Blackpool might not project as a centre for public art, but there’s more than you might think and plenty to occupy a twelve frame film on a bright morning. I caught the service 3 bus and disembarked at Church Street outside the school, to start the exercise with the Fancie Bench in Kings Square outside Stanley Buildings.
From there to St John’s Square and the stainless steel wave, providing a focal point to the public realm. Two shots needed to show the piece with the church and with its free falling blue diver.
When the St John’s Square public realm scheme was carried out, I thought that the fountains looked particularly effective and the kids loved them. However, as such things always seem to, they soon broke down and I began to worry that they would not return, but no, they sprang back to life and have been playing for us from the springtime ever since.
There is another Fancie Bench by local artist Tina Dempsy sited on Edward Street, where the trees were also coming into leaf. I got chatting to a litter picking chap and decided to take the shot over his handy cart. He has a military type vehicle and commented that it was surprising what parts of it people wanted to photograph, rather than the whole car.
The dancing figures on Clifton Street are tricky to photograph because other street furniture encroaches around them; I didn’t manage to get them together. I think she looks quite nice against the blue sky with the town hall deep in the background.
The question ‘what is the most successful piece of Blackpool public art?’ might be moot, but ‘Call of the Sea’ in Talbot Square has to be a strong contender. People are always interacting with it, taking selfies and other pictures. While I was waiting for my shot, I had a pleasant chat with a couple who wanted to know the piece’s origins (a cast of a local lady as the basis for the work – it isn’t a mermaid).
The Tram Benches (each modelled on a real vehicle) came from the same Town Centre Quality Corridors project as Call of the Sea and have proved both aesthetic and useful, in that people do actually sit on them, though not in this shot. I’ve sat on them and done a painting. There are another two to be sited near the new Holiday Inn hotel car park, so I’ll be keeping an eye out for those.
And finally, the Market Street statue. Unfortunately, the loss of the Leonard Dews jeweller and its impending redevelopment, doesn’t give the best back drop for this piece.
That was my last frame exhausted. I think I have put up nine of the twelve here. I repaired to the Last Light coffee to take a spot of lunch. There I also did do a sketch, which is presented for you on my Instagram, if you are interested. This had been a very pleasant interlude, during which I even got some conversation.
For those interested, I used a Yashica 635 twin lens reflex camera fitted with a yellow filter, shooting on to HP5 120 film, giving twelve square frames.
Show Comments (0)