Centre of the Creative Universe

'Centre of the Creative Universe: Liverpool and the Avant-Garde', Tate Liverpool until Sept 9th

A fantastically unique exhibition of the Liverpool arts scene over the past fifty years, which explores how the city has inspired both national and international artists to create work based on the city from the post-war period to the present day. It includes a diverse range of artists and styles of work, chronologically ordered from atmospheric panoramics of a destroyed post-war city, to realist paintings from several 1970's artists through to some contemporary photography from Alex Soth and Anne Fox, capturing characters from the city today and an installation tribute to Liverpool's mothers.

This exhibition brought several new artists/photographers and film-makers to my attention and highlighted how much your immediate environment can provide inspiration for your work. It would be of particular interest to anyone who lives locally or knows the city well however, it also illustrates how art and photography are great forms through which life and change can be recorded.

Centre of the Creative Universe - A downloadable 'spider diagram' that is shown at a ceiling to floor level to begin the exhibition; this illustrious chart shows the breadth of arts and cultural inspirations the city has provided and the many associations and links formed between city and artist.