Liberty of London has a rich history of supporting and showcasing the traditional alongside new up and coming design. Reflecting this commitment in a contemporary context, the iconic British luxury brand has in more recent years announced partnerships with established artists including Grayson Perry, right through to emerging talent from Central St Martin’s School of Art. Last year saw Liberty team up with the V&A, which led to collaboration over the staging of the popular ‘China Design Now’, with specially commissioned neon Chinese characters appearing in store windows for the duration of the exhibition.
As if renewing their vow to nurture artistic talent, Liberty has now partnered with The Photographer’s Gallery. In celebration of the Gallery’s recent move to the neighbourhood, and in an art-world equivalent of ‘popping round to borrow some sugar’, The Photographer’s Gallery is currently showing an offsite exhibition ‘British Landscape Photography’ on the top floor of the impressive Tudor interiors of Liberty’s East Atrium.
As an exhibition in a retail environment, the photographs interact with the space and the products in a fascinating way. There is a noticeable lean toward geometric grid presentation, and a pleasing, almost tongue-in-cheek visual harmony between the hues and tones of the photographs and the furniture on display within close proximity. A great example of this can be seen when pondering over Crystel Lebas’ ‘Blue Hour’ – a dark panoramic portrayal of the rich velvety greens and violets of a bluebell forest in Wiltshire (£4,542). Adjust your line of vision downwards a few feet, and you find yourself gazing with similar wide-eyed wonderment at a vintage 1930s deep blue and mauve mohair chaise longue, (£4,850). Happily displaying its orange sticker, ‘Blue Hour’ will unfortunately soon have to part company with its velvety friend. The photographs from Stephen Gill’s ‘Hackney Flowers’ series – a vivid contemporary critique of both east London and the photographic medium itself – are each displayed above wildly coloured luxe Christine Herman-designed chairs.
British Landscape Photography is an excellent example of a thoughtfully put-together exhibition, showcasing a brave and diverse collection of contemporary approaches to landscape photography, and demonstrating a successful, mutually-beneficial collaboration. After all, when art and retail work in such great harmony, how can one resist buying both that print AND that vintage Victorian Turkish-embroidered armchair?!
