New exhibition features photographs of Wirral coast

Reflecting on Appearances & Associations is a photo exhibition by Heswall photographer Steve Starr.

The exhibition, based at Oriel Colwyn in Cowlyn Bay in North Wales features 100 black and white photographs of the coastline including Wirral, Liverpool and North Wales.

Adventureland in New Brighton (Image: Steve Starr)

Steve, 65, told the Globe: “Coming to photography later in life, I never imagined I would ever have a solo exhibition of my work, so you can imagine how excited I was when Paul Sampson, the curator at Oriel Colwyn gave me call and invited me to exhibit my work.

“It just shows you it’s never too late to start.”

The photographs taken over the last six years were made by Steve using traditional photographic methods with film and darkroom printing. The photos also feature in his new book, Coastal Encounters.

Steve added: “The exhibition is based around a photography book I self-published called ‘Coastal Encounters, Reflecting on Appearances & Associations’.

Colwyn Bay (Image: Steve Starr)

“On the face of it, the exhibition is about a coastal journey from Crosby, through Liverpool, around the Wirral and across North Wales as far as Llandudno, taking note of the manmade structures we encounter on the way.

“Having said that, visitors to the exhibition are encouraged to look at the photos and see what associations they can make with them, to think about the hopefully happy memories the photos from the seaside might prompt them to recall.”

“I grew up in Liverpool and later moved to the Wirral, so it’s perhaps no surprise I am drawn to the seaside just like so many of us from the area, and that’s what made me focus the book on the coast.

“It’s a case of ‘write about what you know’ as they say. I also study the works of writers on the arts like John Berger, Susan Sontag and Roland Barthes, and it was the influence of these writers that made me think about the work a little deeper, to give it some meaning.”

Steve Starr's favourite photograph from the exhibition (Image: Steve Starr)

Speaking of his favourite photo from the collection, Steve added: “It’s hard for me to pick a favourite photo from the collection, as they are all part of the narrative, but there’s one I keep coming back to, and that’s a photo of the seaside shelter in Hoylake, with a gentleman just walking by in the early stages of winter in 2021.

“Apart from just liking the composition personally, I think that as it was made not long after the Covid lockdowns, the timing adds some poignancy to the image too.”

The free exhibition began on March 12 and will run until April 26, 2024.

You can visit the exhibition at Oriel Colwyn, Theatr Colwyn, Abergele Road, Colwyn Bay, Conwy, LL29 7RU. To find out more click here.