A pedestrian trail of public art works running between St Luke's 'Bombed Out' Church and Bluecoat is being explored by Liverpool-born artist Tony Phillips.
The two venues, both of which were damaged by bombing in World War II, will eventually be connected by a trail of painted plaques mounted on buildings in Bold Street and the Ropewalks district.
Phillips is launching a solo exhibition at the arts centre this week - his etching series 12 Decades at Bluecoat, inspired by key events of the past 120 years.
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It continues a survey of modern history that has occupied him over the past 40 years and complements a new installation, 20th Century Chapel, which he is currently working on for Liverpool's St Luke's "Bombed Out" Church, as well as the proposed pedestrian trail.
The sequence of 12 etchings narrates key events and man-made phenomena from 1900 to the present, from the pioneering inventions that heralded the modern age to the mass-production and consumerism that characterise life today.
The works focus on how technology has progressed inspired by humans' age-old aspiration to fly, starting with an image of the first powered flight in 1903, and proceeding through the decades into the modern era of supersonic jet fighters and drones.
Phillips places emphasis on the contradictions between the potential of technological advancement and the reality of our progress.
He said: "The work is a development of images which have occupied me since the 1980s, and is an attempt to condense some of the essential ingredients that characterise the age in which we live - from 1900 to the present day."
Bryan Biggs, Bluecoat's director of cultural legacies, said: "We are pleased to welcome Tony back to the city of his birth. His work continues to engage with historical subjects on a grand scale and we look forward to the new collection with its theme of aviation across 12 decades.
"For the exhibition, we have put together an archival display about his long association with Bluecoat, and themes in his work that include jazz, the city and the Benin Bronzes."
Born in Liverpool and now living in Italy, Phillips has a long association with Bluecoat, exhibiting in group exhibition Black Art: Plotting the Course (1989), curated by Eddie Chambers, which brought together the work of 27 artists of African or Asian origin working in the UK; the etching series, Jazz (1993); and a solo show, The City (1994), which focused on three cities the artist was familiar with, London, Paris and Liverpool.
Advance booking is required to visit the cafe, gallery and garden. Tickets are available for 1 hour slots here.
