A GRAND SHOWCASE BY LOCAL ARTIST!

From now until Sunday 8 November, The Grand is showcasing some of the vibrant works of art by Fylde-based and nationally and internationally exhibited artist, Alistair J. Parker. The exhibition is free and locals, theatregoers and holidaymakers alike are invited to pop in and view the pieces, many of which have a local focus, while relaxing in the theatre’s café bar.

Alistair’s work gives modern art an archaic twist. Fusing photographic, digital, and experimental mixed media techniques, his unique method produces an unconventional, even eccentric, style.

The pictures currently on display at The Grand depict scenes of some of Blackpool’s most treasured landmarks, including the historic theatre, and depict the town with a blend of fun, faded grandeur and nostalgia.

Leaving school at 16, Alistair started work as a lab technician at Liverpool University Veterinary School, later becoming Head of Poulton-le-Fylde laboratories in 1971. In 1974 he started his own lab business, but after selling up and retiring in 2004, Alistair decided to return to education to study art. In the last eight years, Alistair has achieved a BA in Fine Art from Blackpool and the Fylde College, an MA in Contemporary Art Research, and is currently researching for his PhD in Art Practice at Lancaster University.

In addition to Blackpool, Alistair’s works are currently on display in Liverpool, Putney and London, and he is also regularly represented at Affordable Art Fairs in London, Brussels, New York and Hong Kong. In a high point in his artistic career earlier this year, Alistair was commissioned by Chang Beer to turn 5000 beer bottle tops into a piece of art to commemorate the brewing company’s 10 years of shirt sponsorship at Everton Football Club.

Alistair’s distinctive style, captured in the works currently on display at the Grand Theatre, was developed while studying at Blackpool and the Fylde College. His works are created from digital photographs, which he manipulates using Photoshop, and subsequently collages, blends and modifies. The final image is enlarged and cut into tiles using special software before bring printed and varnished, giving his works a photographic touch with a difference.

His signature distressed style gives the effect of a worn-out, scratched and folded photograph in bright, high-contrast tones, nostalgically echoing Blackpool’s vibrant past. For those who love modern art, photography and Blackpool’s distinctive charm, this is a unique, edgy and mesmeric display.

Come along, take a break, and treat yourself to coffee as you enjoy some of Alistair J. Parker’s iconic pieces on display at Blackpool Grand Theatre’s Stage Door Café Bar, from now until Sunday 8 November.

Alistair J. Parker

Stage Door Café,  Grand Theatre, Blackpool Until Sunday 8 November 2015. During opening hours

FREE

Call Box Office on 01253 74 33 39 or visit blackpoolgrand.co.uk