Manchester’s Printworks has announced it will be commissioning a BIG piece of artwork celebrating Manchester and they’re looking for the public to choose from one of five artists to create it.
The artwork will be 215m2 and permanently on display within the Pump Yard area of Printworks for the public to view and enjoy.
The artwork will be one element of the refurbishment of Printworks which is currently being undertaken and, when complete, will bring to life Manchester’s soul and pride for the spirit of our city. The final artwork will also reflect the Printworks’ core values – vitality and energy, being connected to one another, a focus on ethics, honest, trust and escape.
Printworks is asking the public to have their say in which artist is chosen to have this honour. The public vote will be taken into account by the judging panel which includes Norman Cook (also known as Fatboy Slim), the legendary DJ and music producer, Ben Reed, the creative director of Wild in Art (who also brought us Bee in the City), Jason Shay, Printworks centre director, Gwen Youlden, Head of Destination Marketing at Cushman & Wakefield and David Fraser, from Harrison Fraser brands specialists.
The five shortlisted artists have all submitted their ideas for the artwork, but the final designs will not be decided until one has been chosen as the winner.
Jason Shay, centre director of Printworks, comments: “It was a very tough decision to shortlist just five artists from the hundreds that applied for this commission and we’re keen for the public to help us choose the final artist for this prestigious piece of art. It will be a legacy piece of public art permanently on display at the venue and so we want to make sure we choose what will best represent the people of Manchester.
“This is another stage in our extensive refurbishment which will enhance our iconic building as well as ensuring we stay true to our longstanding heritage. This artwork will be viewed by millions of people each year and so will be a lasting testament to the spirit of the people of our city.”
The five finalist artists are:
Elyse Blackshaw
This Manchester born illustrator uses multiple techniques within her work including drawing, collage, digital editing and illustration. Her artwork is based on a survey of over 100 Mancunians to find what they think of the city. This resulted in words such as vibrant, friendly, inclusive, diverseand proud and these are the themes she used for inspiration in her artwork which aims to show what the city means to the people. The artwork has been designed to appeal to a wide variety of people and ensure there’s something relatable for everyone within it.
Micah Purnell
Manchester based Micah’s work aims to bring positivity and humanity to commercial and public spaces with a bright, colourful style and text to communicate uplifting and positive messages. His proposed artwork is called Up Up & Away, which is a three part, interactive experience. It starts with a joyous sight of multicoloured hot air balloons, with a closer look it becomes clear the balloons are made up of inspirational phrases, then finally using AR technology the artwork will come to life allowing the public to see each balloon in full flight.
Mikesian Studio
Mikesian Studio is an artistic duo from Manchester, Mike and Sian. They have a strong style which consists of bold colour, powerful textand graphics. They have also focussed on what people think of Manchester right now in 2022 and, if chosen, they plan to interview people within the city to find the most memorable answers to incorporate in their final design. Their design concept uses bold shapes and blocks of colour along with large scale typography to create a reminder of what we’ve all got to smile about in the city.
Alex Sylt
Another illustrator from Manchester, Alex uses a variety of mediums which includes digital as well as pen, pencil or gouache. He owns his own screen-printing studio in Ancoats, which can be seen as an inspiration for his suggested design. He was also inspired by Printworks’ history with printing press machinery incorporated into a fantastical structure of the building itself. Cotton flowers are woven in as a nod to Manchester’s wider history, and this is balanced with thefuturistic style of the artwork as an overall piece.
Orakel Workshop
This Brighton based artist creates designs digitally and has researched the iconic characteristics of Manchester. The design so far includes Manchester’s industrial, pop culture, music, sport, architectural and creative heritage and features striking diagonals inspired by the Manchester Coat of Arms and the Hacienda. This is layered with historic imagery of Printworks’ building over time including its past life as a printing press.
