About this Event
"I use my photography as a foundation element for a 3 hours writers workshops. I use music as stimulation for workshop creativity, the lyrical content being inspirational for workshop attendees. I provide boombox and CDs.
I sometimes use painting as a gateway activity to higher consciousness and for reflection on the meaning of life to each individual. I use the spoken word to challenge our preconceptions of people and raise awareness to diversity and cultural appreciation of those from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. I use small canvases and acrylic paints. I sometimes use photocopied versions of my photography in my workshop.
I see the Creative Arts as a therapeutic and healing process for those lacking confidence, lacking self belief and requiring an 'empowerment intervention'. It is amazing what people can create when they let go of the fear of rejection. My workshop promotes positive mental attitude and celebrates the individual's unique value and their 'cosmic' connectedness to all humanity and nature itself. "
LOVE LIFE... LOVE LIVERPOOL !
I see my artistic function as one of creating work that causes the viewer to "question their preconceived ideas" on whichever "subjects" I approach.
It could be social history and change within the multi-cultural and diverse Toxteth community as recorded through documentary photography.
It could the continuing decline and influence of institutional Christian religious dogma in our ever more secular society.
It could be gender issues raised by the empowerment of women over the last 30 years and men's struggle to re-invent the concept of Masculinity in the 21st Century.
My work does not provide answers but it DOES raises and provoke questions within the minds of the viewers and ask them to question themselves about their gut emotional feelings and response to the work.
To get the viewer to question their understanding of and insights into the issues raised in my work and to question their own beliefs held, based on their prior knowledge and information or even lack of it.
To get the viewer to question my motivations and why the subjects or issues are important or even matter to me , the artist.
I want my work to make people think on all different levels. Most importantly of all I want the viewers to
THINK FOR THEMSELVES and not to be afraid or prejudicial but open minded to seeing the world from a different angle.
My work being a jumping off point for internal debate, for social conversation and for communal discussion.
Maybe causing the viewer not to sleep walk through their daily life but to wake up to the beauty of life all around them, hidden in unexpected places and behind different cultural faces.
This beauty is what I have found through looking at the world, my Liverpool, with new eyes and creating work with that beauty embedded in it.
My work and I, represent the hidden beauty and strength of Liverpool and its unique culture and its fantastic people .
LOVE LIFE... LOVE LIVERPOOL..!
Leroy Cooper : Artist
Cultural Ambassador for Liverpool
MOST RECENT ARTISTIC / CREATIVE CV of LEROY COOPER
DIVERSE LIVERPOOL MAGAZINE 2006 - 2009
Between 2006 and 2009 I was commissioned by Diverse Liverpool Magazine to produce photo-journalistic 5 articles for
5 editions of the magazine.
The articles being titled " LIFE IN LIVERPOOL THRU THE LENS OF LEROY COOPER "
2006 : JOURNALISTIC PRESENTATION BBC TV NORTHWEST NEWS REPORT ON 25th ANNIVERSARY
2006 : 10 MINUTE DOCUMENTARY FILM FOR BBC2 : VIDEO DIARY: ON TOXTETH 25 YEARS ON FROM THE 1981 RIOTS
Commissioned by BBC NORTHWEST to present news report on the 25th anniversary of THE TOXTETH RIOTS.
This lead to being commissioned to direct and film 10 minute short documentary film for BBC2's VIDEO NATION
http://www.bbc.co.uk/.../07/06/leroy_cooper_feature.shtml
2007 TATE GALLERY : WRITING ON THE WALL ( W.O.W ) : LIVERPOOL LITERARY FESTIVAL
As part of the WOW Festival I did a SHOW and TELL project at TATE GALLERY consisting of... Talk and photographic slide show exhibition, exhibition of paintings, a discussion with Bryan Biggs from the Blue Coat Gallery about my work and a Q&A Session afterwards with the viewing audience.
www.artinliverpool.com/?p=2724
2010-2016 THE LARK LANE TRIANGULATION AND ARTIST IN RESIDENCE @ KEITH'S WINEBAR
In 2010 I organised an exhibition of my photography and paintings in 3 different venues on LARK LANE LIVERPOOL 17 at the same time.The venues being KEITH'S WINE BAR / QUE PASA CANTINA RESTAURANT / BAR and THE NEGRESCU BAR. This lasted for 3 months September to November.
2010 - 2016
My work was in exhibition at Keith's Wine Bar between SEPT 2010 - DECEMBER 2016 and I was artist in residence for 6 years.
This gave me the opportunity to showcase new paintings and exhibit examples of my photography. I utilised the opportunity to create and exhibit 40 - 60 new large canvas paintings. I was not trying to sell my work (even though I have had offers) but rather to showcase my styles and take commissions.
In 2018 I was invited to create a month long exhibition at the Unity Theatre, Liverpool
Off the back of this I was invited to create an exhibition at Toxteth Library. I was working on publishing my first photographic anthology photo-zine BACK IN THE DAY vol 1 at the time and created the exhibition from the photography I was looking to use.
I created a large collage of images on canvas which at the end of the exhibition I donated to Liverpool Central Library's archive department along with the original 'copy and paste' blueprint version of the eventual publication. I registered the business CAPSTONE MEDIA COMPANY.
In 2019 I was invited by WRITING ON THE WALL (W.O.W) to do my launch BACK IN THE DAY vol 1 at The Bluecoat Contemporary Art Gallery .
2020 was the year of the pandemic so life was put on hold but many artists took to the digital universe to continue creating work and I was one of them. I used the time to invest in my writing and created several online publications as well as an online version of BACK IN THE DAY vol1 https://issuu.com/starmason/docs/bitd_online_medium-res
https://issuu.com/starmason/docs/book_2bbc_.pptx
https://issuu.com/starmason/docs/book_2_.pptx
https://issuu.com/starmason/docs/book_2a_.pptx
PRESENT DAY PROJECTS
I have been creating limited edition hardback books as a CAPSTONE MEDIA project via online services as well as I have been acquiring printed canvasses and photo-poster prints of my work for future exhibitions and sales opportunities that may also arise. I also attend the GRANBY STREET MARKET monthly with my original books and prints for sale.
FUTURE PROJECTS & GOALS
I have been invited to create an exhibition in March 2023 with NATIONAL MUSEUMS LIVERPOOL and will be working towards this with the museums exhibition team from Sept 2022.
I Intend to create an archival 'film & photographic & art' gallery in the future as the culmination of my work in Liverpool as a heritage and legacy project so that my work can become the 'creative foundation stone' for those photographers, filmmakers and artists that come after me in the future can add to and can continue building an archival representation for the Black and diverse multicultural community of Toxteth Liverpool 8. It is time for the healing to begin and I would like to think that my life's work is part of that healing process. LOVE LIFE...LOVE LIVERPOOL...
Links to Leroy's' further work :
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Gallery 455, 455 Smithdown Road, Liverpool, United Kingdom
GBP 0.00