Transient Town
TRANSIENT TOWN Paintings of Bury by Joe Cooper
Since Joseph Cooper began to paint local scenes over forty years ago, the townscape of Bury Lancashire has considerably altered. Starting in the late Sixties and spread across a period of 15 years he produced over fifty paintings of local landmarks and locations. Recognising his work had a certain heritage status as a personal perspective of the old town as it used to be; in 2009 the surviving collection was offered to the Bury Art Museum. Now the paintings are valued as a historic record capturing the scenery of the post-war period.
Transient Town provides a snapshot of evolving Bury at the threshold of transition from a manufacturing base to a service economy. Produced by Graham Cooper the publication describes the historic and social context for the paintings at the cusp of change. Shockingly over the period the town has lost over sixty local pubs, seven cinemas and countless shops so important to the social fabric of the community. The catalogue includes The Bury Art Museum collection and comparisons are made between the town as it was and is now by emphasising that which has been lost. This year the family was delighted to see Joe’s pictures in the BBC national digital archive “Your Paintings” and in response this catalogue has been prepared.
Produced in 2013 by Harmonie Press Format: A5, Pages 56, Price £10 incl UK P&P.
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Orders to G Cooper Harmonie Peak Hill Road Sidmouth Devon EX10 0NW
e: coopergraham@supanet.com