Laurence Stephen Lowry is a cultural icon in Greater Manchester, most famous for his simple depictions of hectic industrial scenes, hailing from Stretford and spending most of his life in the region.
Anyone living in the north west of England will have struggled to avoid the impact of his art, with various buildings and landmarks scattered across the region adorning his name.
Most famous amongst these is Salford’s primary cultural hub, the Lowry Theatre, which holds a considerable collection of original Lowry works.
There’s already an extensive collection of his work currently on display but a Lowry gallery technician said there are even more artworks being held in storage, so vast in number partially because Salford City Council would often commission him to create pieces.
A visit to this permanent exhibition will quickly show that Lowry had an artistic expression far beyond the narrow view of some of his most famous works, often characterised by his ‘matchstick men’.
Lowry embellished and created many of his most famous art, often works of fiction based on the everyday life of the working classes.
However, much of his work is based on real-life scenes, many of which still stand today.
As the interactive map below shows, Greater Manchester, and Salford in particular, were key inspirations for a variety of his paintings and drawings, but he did also travel further afield to depict a variety of landscapes.
The L.S Lowry Exhibition is a permanent fixture at The Lowry Manchester, entry is free, but donations are kindly accepted at various points within the building.
The exhibition is open 11am-5pm Tuesday to Friday and 10am-5pm on Saturday and Sunday. The gallery is closed on Mondays, except for bank holidays. More information about the exhibition is available here.
Interesting article, found the interactive map very informative. Have been to The Lowry exhibition in the past and was not aware that there were artworks in storage, seems such a shame as Lowry was a massive part of Manchester and Salford’s art history.