A photographic snapshot depicting some of the many characters of Stockport’s historic Underbanks area, is coming to the White Lion on Great Underbanks.
The exhibition will showcase the work of photographer Mark Fairhurst who has an interesting career spanning six decades and has photographed everyone from Queen Elizabeth II to Blur.
Mark initially approached the Rediscovering the Underbanks team about documenting the people who visit the area and retailers in the same style as revered American photographer Richard Avedon. His work photographed people against a pure white backdrop which made the viewer concentrate on their faces.
Mark Fairhurst said:” Life has been particularly hard for many people, especially after Covid and the cost-of-living crisis. But the stoicism of the characters photographed is heartwarming. The Underbanks is an area steeped in history, and history is what photography captures.
“It’s been a pleasure to have started this project and I will be ever grateful to the Underbanks team and the people that agreed to be part of it.”
The exhibition will open to the public on Friday, 9th August, featuring 50 photographs across two installations. The Grade-II listed White Lion has been brought back to life as part of the work to regenerate the area and is now home to apartments on the upper floors and a pub on the ground level, after being empty for many years. Mark Fairhurst’s exhibition can be seen on the lower ground in the ‘Lion’s Den’.
