Brutal North: Simon Phipps – Online Exhibition
The Brutal North: Simon Phipps’ online exhibition is a celebration of the launch of ‘Brutal North’ by Simon Phipps, an author of Brutal London, Finding Brutalism and Concrete Poetry: Post-War Modernist Public Art. Within The Brutal North Brutalist architecture is captured through a series of black and white photographs. The exhibition features a book of photographic exploration of post-war modernist architecture in Northern England, a time when some of the most aspirational, enlightened and successful modernist architecture was built. Capturing Preston’s bus stations, Liverpool’s Royal Insurance Buildings, Phipps celebrates the effect that they have on the skyline.
Brutalist architecture, a controversial movement, is viewed by some as bleak and unattractive due to the use of a large amount of concrete. Brutal North celebrates the structure of Brutalist architecture as an importance for its addition that they leave on the skyline. The visual representation of modernist architecture across the UK captures the ‘power and progressive ambition’. Throughout the post war years, the most aspirational, and successful modernist architecture in the world was created.
A consideration is taken of what the future holds for these buildings, as many are unlisted or neglected. The images question what makes these buildings special enough to be saved, and whether we should care about Brutalist buildings still being around and in use now.
Simon Phipps. (2015). Brutal North: Post-War Modernist Architecture in the North of England. Available: https://cf.motif.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/20171214/eileen-fisher.jpg. Last accessed 8th March 2021.
