It goes without saying that the marvellous city of Liverpool has an endless supply of museums and galleries for its locals and friendly tourists to satisfy their artistic appetites with. You have the Walker, the Open Eye, Tate Liverpool, the Lady Lever, the Maritime, Museum of Liverpool, etc etc etc. However… if our nationwide lockdowns taught me anything, it’s that I had no idea how much public artwork Liverpool has to offer. So in this little series of blog entries, I am giving you some of my favourite outdoor Liverpool treasures for you to enjoy yourself!

The following content has been taken from some previous writing that I did for Art in Liverpool earlier this year. If you would like to read more about the initiative I campaigned for during the third lockdown please read here: My Writing for Art in Liverpool!

John Hulley by Tom Murphey

My first pick is located at Kings Parade in Coburg Wharf, just south of the Royal Albert Dock, where you will be met with tranquil, scenic views of the River Mersey and Birkenhead. Ready to jog into the sunset is the founder of Liverpool’s Olympic games and the city’s first Olympian, sculpted by Tom Murphy in 2019. Kensington-born John Hulley is considered to be one of the ‘Three Founding Fathers’ of the modern day Olympics, organising six of the sporting festivals in his time. This bronze statue showcases a much-appreciated campaigner of exercise and healthy living for the working classes in the 19th century, believing in bringing physical education to the masses.

In an attempt to keep our spirits high and mental wellbeing intact, I thought John Hulley’s motto, “Mens Sana in Corpore Sano” translating to ‘a healthy mind in a healthy body,’ was the ideal sculpture to commence my list of favourites. His contrapposto stance also leads us in the direction to our next Liverpool treasure.

The artist of this work can be found via https://liverpoolsculptures.co.uk/ or @tomsculpt on Twitter.

Britain from the Air Outdoor Exhibition

As you walk along Kings Parade towards the Royal Albert Dock, I highly recommend cutting through to the piazza outside of ACC Liverpool and the M&S Bank Arena cityside entrances. It is here where you will start to stumble across dozens of large, wooden easels propping up some incredible birds-eye views of Britain’s most intriguing landscapes and landmarks.

This free, outdoor photography exhibition is called Britain from the Air and was developed by street gallery pioneers, wecommunic8, and the Royal Geographical Society. Brecon Beacons, London’s City & Docklands and panoramas of Perth & Kinross are just some of the locations pictured and what’s more, each photo comes with its own snippet of facts and statistics so the exhibition acts as a great educational resource while infatuating our eyes. The exhibition allows us to divulge into a brand new perspective of some of the most fascinating sites of Britain’s history and culture. These enriching images trail from the piazza, past the Big Wheel and back up to the waterfront.

Liverpool Mountain by Ugo Rondinone

If you continue to walk along the Mersey towards the bustling centre of the Royal Albert Dock, it will be quite difficult to miss the 10-metre-high, technicolour sculpture standing boldly between the Piermaster’s House and Tate Liverpool. Commissioned by the latter and Liverpool Biennial to mark their respective anniversaries, Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone’s Liverpool Mountain stands tall to mirror the eccentric and colourful nature of Merseyside’s cultural landscape. This might be Rondinone’s first public artwork in the UK but his fluorescent totemic formations can be found around the world that take part in his tradition of making sculptures using natural materials.

This artwork was inspired by naturally occurring hoodoos, which are spires or pyramids of rock, and the art of meditative rock balancing. Rondinone merges geological and abstract elements together seamlessly with Liverpool Mountain, embracing the ordinary with vibrancy, colour and zest, reflecting Liverpool’s arts scene perfectly.

The artist of this work can be found at https://ugorondinone.com/ or @ugorondinone0 on Instagram.

Heaven and Earth by Andy Plant

Walking north from Liverpool Mountain towards our next outdoor treasure at the Pier Head, our eyes are blessed with numerous public artworks to engage with; Carlos Cruz-Diez’ Dazzle Ship and the varying Superlambananas are to name a few. However, one piece of art that I feel is particularly noteworthy is Andy Plant’s interactive mechanical sculpture, Heaven and Earth.

Combining a large telescope with a working hand-powered orrery, sculptor Andy Plant has created a timeless work of art to commemorate the life and work of scientific genius, Jeremiah Horrocks. Born in Liverpool in the 17th century, Jeremiah Horrocks made enormous intellectual glides for astronomy by being the first person to prove that the moon travelled around the Earth in an elliptical orbit and the first person to accurately calculate the transit of Venus.

Plant’s extensive background in sculpture and engineering helped to produce Heaven and Earth, which initially allowed for the public to watch a video animation of the life of Jeremiah Horrocks through the eyepiece. Unfortunately this feature is no longer functioning but one can access the animaion here: https://twitter.com/hiddenliverpool/status/1243094126217830401. While this feature might not currently work, the sculpture’s mechanical orrery consists of a miniature copper angel depiction of Horrocks who replaces the position of Venus, orbiting around the other planets as his wings flap.

The artist of this work can be found via https://www.andyplant.co.uk/.t

Liverpool Blitz Memorial by Tom Murphy

The final stop of this public art trail is located just around the corner from our previous artwork, in the Our Lady & St. Nicholas Church garden, which I find is a great, peaceful spot to sit and look towards the docks for a much-needed breather.

It comes as no surprise that artist Tom Murphy has appeared in this trail for the second time, considering how renowned he is for his sculptures across Liverpool. Famously, Murphy sculpted the statue of John Lennon at Liverpool John Lennon Airport and Princess Diana at the Liverpool Women’s Hospital; it is fair to say that his artistic talent is unmatched.

Climbing playfully towards the sky with a toy aeroplane is a young boy being chased by his mother with a baby in her arms, asking desperately if he will come back down to safety. It is one of the more touching memorials across the waterfront as the bronze sculpture commemorates the civilians in Liverpool and Bootle who lost their lives in the bombing of the city during World War 2. The location of this work is highly impactful, with the young boy facing towards the River Mersey and the docks – the primary reason for why it was so intensively attacked. We observe Murphy’s work here to remember Liverpool’s vast history and heritage, as well as the incredible artistic talent of the city that allows for it’s reflection for the public.

If you enjoyed this blog entry, have a look at my other trails of Outdoor Lockdown Treasures!