Proper Football decided to take in a bit of culture over the festive period and luckily the art gallery we chose to visit (Walker Art Gallery -Liverpool) had the 'Art Of Terraces' exhibition on. Through the medium of art, the exhibition highlights the clothing brands and sports footwear, music and encounters between rival groups of football supporters which defined an era and generation. Football Casuals in our language.
The exhibition features the work of a generation of contemporary artists and designers who have been influenced by this movement over the last 40 years.
The story of the movement, its wider significance in British and European popular culture and its artistic legacy will be told through more than 100 paintings, graphic designs and fashion items, as well as installations, videos and installation art.
Pauline Rushton, Head of Decorative Arts at National Museums Liverpool, said: “It’s been our ambition for a long time to hold an exhibition of this kind at the Walker. Terrace culture originated among football fans here in the North West in the 1970s, and it’s difficult to overemphasise quite how far-reaching its influence has become.
“We’ll consider the highs and lows of going to the match, and the sense of identity and belonging that could be discovered and signalled to others through wearing a certain pair of trainers or branded sports top.”
Dave Hewitson, exhibition partner and creator of the 80sCasuals website and clothing brand, said: “This wasn’t just a group of kids following fashion and wearing the latest trends, these kids were creating their own trends and style. The clothes, the attitude and ultimately the match defined the culture.”
The exhibition does focus on Merseyside but there are a few acceptions which was nice to see. The age-old debate of where the casual movement started has been answered by one of the dialogue exhibits whether you agree or not lol.
The Art of the Terraces certainly isn't just for us of a casual persuasion. Lovers of football & art will certainly enjoy the many exhibits on show.
There are of course some classic clothes and trainers on show for the obsessives among us and a book on 80's Casuals is available to buy at the museum shop for £25.
There are also a couple of video installations to watch including 'Fiorucci Made Me Hardcore' by Mark Leckey. The work is a compilation of found footage from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s underground music and dance scene in the UK.
Music is tightly knitted within the terraces as we all know and there are a couple of pieces covering this including the David Bowie painting depicting Bowie's 'Low' album sleeve where he is seen sporting the iconic wedge haircut.
The painting by Ross Muir has re-purposed the well-known image of Bowie by adding the three stripes seen on Adidas sportswear.
Another piece with a nod to music is the 'Forest Hills' painting by Jens Wagner which includes a line from The Jam's 1978 single 'Down In The Tube Station At Midnight '.
Also by Jens Wagner is this Ska City painting originally made for Coventry's 2-Tone village. The painting also depicts Coventry City's old Highfield Road ground.
There is so much more to see at the exhibition we highly recommend a visit. Entry is free but there is an option to make a cash or card donation as you exit the exhibition. Also near the exit, there is a wall where you can leave a post-it note with a little message. Unfortunately on our visit, there weren't any.
The Walker Art Gallery can be found just a few minutes walk from Liverpool Lime Street station and is open till 4.00 PM every day except Mondays and run's until the 12th of March.