Lowry's City: A Painter and His Locale

by Judith Sandling, Michael Leber

Few artists are as intimately involved with place as L. S. Lowry, possibly the most popular British artist of the last century. His industrial landscapes and townscapes are almost exclusively centred on the region around the cities of Salford and Manchester.
Authors, Judith Sandling and Mike Leber, have pooled their expertise to create a record of the ways in which numerous paintings by the artist relate directly to specific locations within the industrial North-West. Having undertaken hours of patient investigation in archives and galleries, Judith Sandling has compiled a revealing and erudite sequence of essays linking a specific location to each work, together with related drawings and photographs dating from Lowry's time. Mike Leber has provided a general introduction to the book, describing Lowry's general relationship with areas of the city - not only as an artist, but as working rent-collector, trudging the streets for almost half a century.
Photographer Len Grant has visited each location and photographed its current appearance, revealing both the sites that remain redolent of Lowry's painting, and those that have changed beyond recognition.

Genres: Art

108 pages, Paperback

First published February 15, 2001

Reviews

[Matthew Eyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating book about a man who was nothing repeat nothing like the mawkish Brian & Michael pastiche He wasn't self taught, he did not paint on cardboard boxes and those with any discernment recognised his talent early on What he never did was push himself forward The great industrial works for which he is rightly celebrated happened because he was a) a rent collector and b) a loyal son to his invalid mother After her death, his retirement and a steady income he broadened his subject subject matter to include sea and countryside scenes But when you say Lowryesque those never come to mind- it's the smokey chimneys and yes, those matchstick people scurrying to work or t'match