Liam Spencer – All Artworks

Liam Spencer was born in Burnley in 1964. He studied Fine Art at Manchester Polytechnic and graduated in 1986. Liam came to be known for his striking paintings of Manchester's urban landscape. He gained recognition with a solo exhibition "Urban Panoramas" at the newly opened Lowry Arts Center in 2000.

Since then, Liam’s works have been widely exhibited, with memorable highlights including a 30-minute BBC documentary in 2005. In 2006, he became the youngest artist to have a retrospective at Manchester Art Gallery, titled "Manchester To Shanghai." In 2008, Liam was commissioned to create the artwork for the UEFA Cup Final at the City of Manchester Stadium.

In more recent years, Liam has shifted his focus towards nature and wildlife in post-industrial landscapes. The Whitaker in Rossendale held an exhibition "Irwell - Afterlife," which explored the return of nature to the once heavily polluted industrial river.

Liam’s work can be found in several public collections, including those of Manchester City Art Galleries, Salford Museum and Art Gallery, Towneley Hall Museum and Art Gallery, Burnley, to name but a few.

Liam was asked how he would describe his style of painting in a BBC interview. "I suppose I think of myself as being closest to the Impressionist artists, especially early in the movement when artists like Monet were dealing with the rapidly changing modern world. I paint fairly broadly, with big brushes, and I'm trying to convey how we might see the world at a glance - the big impressions - not how we see the world when we stare at it and count the number of trees, or register the minutiae of the scene."

Liam’s works portraying big cities both in the UK and further afield are worked primarily in oil paints. His use of bold colours and lots of primaries make his urban scenes come alive with light, be it natural sunlight, the street lights, or car headlights. Liam always looks for beauty in the most unexpected places. His ability lies in making unattractive places such as petrol stations and motorways look appealing. He is renowned for transforming humdrum scenes into captivating works bursting with light and colour, capturing that moment in time.

Liam works mostly from observation but also takes time to photograph subjects, which can be a great source of inspiration when he is working in the studio. To Liam, it's not about creating a photographic painting—it is all about the brush strokes, the texture, and the colours, which are often portrayed in Liam’s popular panoramas. This long format distinctively lends itself to his city skylines and rural scenes.

At Contemporary Six, we have a lovely selection of works by Liam Spencer. If you require any help or information, please do not hesitate to contact the gallery.

In an interview, Liam was asked this question, and his answer was, "I have been influenced by many artists at different times and for different reasons. A short list would have to include Frank Auerbach, Ivon Hitchens, Gwen John, Winifred Nicholson, Monet, Marquet, Matisse, Bonnard, Van Gogh, Cezanne, Bomberg, Morandi, and most of all Vermeer."