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A little slice of Warrington is coming to London. The Cheshire town was home to the artist Eric Tucker, who died in 2018, and whose art beautifully depicted working-class life in the industrial north. Now, two galleries are being converted into his house and favourite pub.
Tucker is known as the ‘Secret Lowry’ – a nod to his similarities with one of the great chroniclers of everyday English life, LS Lowry – and you can see why: he has the same knack for capturing the warmth, togetherness and (often) grimness of northern England, and a similarly naive, untrained aesthetic. He kept his art largely private throughout his life, shrouding his painting and drawing practice in so much secrecy that even his family didn’t know the full extent of his creativity. But what he left behind is an incredible visual diary of Warrington’s working class, of the people and pubs of his town, filled with tenderness and richness.
Alon Zakaim Fine Art has been turned into a recreation of Tucker’s terraced home and studio, complete with personal items loaned by the artist’s family. Nearby, Connaught Brown gallery has been turned into Tucker’s favourite pub, with a fully functioning oak-panelled bar stocked with a specially brewed bitter. There are also almost 50 original Tucker artworks on display, creating a totally immersive slice of northern life right in the heart of Mayfair. It’s like going to the north without leaving London, which means you don’t have to take out a mortgage for the train fare (if they’re even running).
‘Eric Tucker: At Home’ is at Connaught Brown and Alon Zakaim Fine Art until Dec 23. Free. More details here and here.
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