An eclectic day in Manchester

It was not only the weather that was varied! Visited Manchester intending to visit the Anish Kapoor Exhibition at the Art Gallery, to find it was closed on Mondays! Doh! Instead visited the Lowry which was a bit of a disappointment. It might have been the fact it started raining as I got there but there wasn't much to the place. I get the impression a lot of money has been thrown at it, possibly with the intention of widening the appeal of the arts but in fact it was an expensive looking theatre. One of the main galleries was closed and all there was to see was a collection of work by the eponymous painter. (Have I used eponymous correctly here?) It was interesting to see how his style had developed and how he had dabbled with Impressionism. Also that he had started working from a white background in answer to his teachers who told him his work was too dark. I found the collection unsettling, as if he was a spectator, watching the crowded scenes of dull monotonous poverty without engaging in them. His later works were even more voyeuristic; 'The Cripples' was particularly insensitive. Following this I visited the Imperial War Museum North. The best part of this was the space and the way the gallery was organised into what they called 'Silos'. It was a huge space, divided by floor to ceiling blocks which you walked around and displyed the different themes. It was very dark and the ambience was just right. They then used these huge white blocks to project onto for a show. I didn't feel particularly blown away by anything else, except the one thing was a small collection of items which had belonged to a Japanese POW. and his two belts, one from before, one from after. The later could not have fitted around a size 8 waist. Finally, I visited the Northern Quarter and the Craft Galleries. I was particularly impressed by the ceramic tiles and bought one for Dad. I also bought myself a lovely thing. It is wood veneer which has tiny holes burned into it and thread threaded through to form flower patterns. http://www.janebleasedesign.co.uk/