The ever-changing canvas of Oldham

It Was Early Spring . . . (Fire on Union Street), painted by Helen Bradley, from Lees, in 1969. She is the most noted local artist of the late 20th century. More of her work, loaned from a private collection, is on display in Oldham Library

THE way art documented the changing face of Oldham — from rural past through industrial dominance and into the 20th century — will be on show at Gallery Oldham.

And the importance of the Oldham School of Art and the original 19th century Oldham Art Gallery in the cultural and creative life of the area will be a key feature.

The art school opened in 1881 and Oldham Library and Art Gallery followed in 1883, with the support of famous benefactor Charles Lees.

During the 20th century the gallery promoted the work of local artists and built up a significant collection that is on display in this exhibition, Vision and Reality: Oldham Artists, which opens on Saturday.

It showcases the work of past and present artists — some with international reputations, others lesser known names.

They include James Howe Carse, John Houghton Hague and James Purdy, who painted the local landscape and the people who inhabited it.

The most famous Oldham artist of the late 20th century was probably Helen Bradley, from Lees. She is represented by three paintings, including her monumental work, It was Early Spring… (Fire on Union Street), painted in 1969.

Some artists saw art as a means of escapism — the most famous being William Stott of Oldham.

In the 1880s he left to study in Paris and subsequently settled in Cumbria, rarely returning to his home town. The exhibition includes one of his major canvases, White Mountain, alongside some of his most beautiful pastels and watercolours.

Another major artist, Charles Potter, was dismayed by the industrialisation of Oldham and left for Wales, settling in Tal-y-bont which became something of an informal colony of Oldham artists.

Paintings by James Purdy and John Armitage capture the energy and optimism of the booming textile industry before the Second World War.

Contemporary artwork by John McCombs, well known for his paintings of Delph, and Alan Rankle, an Oldham-born artist with an international reputation, whose work explores landscape and environmentalism, bring the story up to date.

The gallery’s social history collection and archives bring the artists to life with personal items such as scholarship certificates, private notebooks, sketchbooks, photographs and James Purdy’s schoolboy cap.

Dinah Winch, senior curator at Gallery Oldham, said: “Oldham has a rich cultural history. Alongside major artists such as William Stott, Alfred Ackrill and Helen Bradley there are dozens of artists who are less well known, but whose work offers an amazing insight into the artistic life of the area over the last 200 years.”

In Oldham Library, next door to the gallery, there is also a new display of 12 works by Helen Bradley, loaned from a private collection, on show to visitors.

For more information call 0161-770 4653 or log on to www.galleryoldham.org.uk.