22 Jan 2011
Inspiration for 'The Runner'
There is such a wealth of sports associated with Liverpool that it's a challenge to depict them all in one artwork (the original brief from the joint commissioners). So I decided to focus on a sequence of movement that relates to many sports – RUNNING.
As well as being a sport in its own right running is common to many competitive sports including football, gymnastics, tennis, etc. It also embraces the amateur sports people enjoy from charity fun runs to gruelling marathons!
Then I discovered an amazing fact I wanted to highlight - Liverpool had a pivotal role in the modern Olympic movement!
Between 1862 and 1867, Liverpool held an annual Grand Olympic Festival. Devised by John Hulley and Charles Melly, these games were the first to be wholly amateur in nature and international in outlook. The programme of the first modern Olympiad in Athens in 1896 was almost identical to that of the Liverpool Olympics.*
‘The Runner’ recognises the impact of the Liverpool Olympics, and celebrates the achievements of all Liverpool Olympians and athletes.
* I'm grateful to Ray Physick who wrote the book, ‘Played in Liverpool: Charting the Heritage of a City at Play’ where I discovered much of this information.
As well as being a sport in its own right running is common to many competitive sports including football, gymnastics, tennis, etc. It also embraces the amateur sports people enjoy from charity fun runs to gruelling marathons!
Then I discovered an amazing fact I wanted to highlight - Liverpool had a pivotal role in the modern Olympic movement!
Between 1862 and 1867, Liverpool held an annual Grand Olympic Festival. Devised by John Hulley and Charles Melly, these games were the first to be wholly amateur in nature and international in outlook. The programme of the first modern Olympiad in Athens in 1896 was almost identical to that of the Liverpool Olympics.*
‘The Runner’ recognises the impact of the Liverpool Olympics, and celebrates the achievements of all Liverpool Olympians and athletes.
* I'm grateful to Ray Physick who wrote the book, ‘Played in Liverpool: Charting the Heritage of a City at Play’ where I discovered much of this information.
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