UNDER THE BIG BLUE SKY

 

 

Throughout global art history, blue has often been treated with a unique reverence. Its rarity in nature — due to the scarcity of naturally occurring blue pigments — has contributed to this status.

 

The creation of a synthetic blue pigment by the Egyptians around 2500 BCE marked the beginning of a long history of blue in art. The mining and trade of lapis lazuli, primarily sourced from the remote Badakhshan mountains of Afghanistan, and indigo from plants found in parts of West Africa, Eastern Europe, and Asia, transformed landscapes and made blue one of the most valuable pigments, as well as an impactful colonial commodity, through the ages.

 

As the pigment became more accessible in the Early Modern Era, artists harnessed the colour to explore ideas of value and emotion. Artists such as Pablo Picasso, Georgia O'Keeffe, Yves Klein, and Derek Jarman became renowned during the 20th century for utilising the colour in new ways, engaging with its emotional and social powers.

 

Under the Big Blue Sky is a new exhibition that invites artists to showcase their interpretations of blue, allowing audiences to appreciate both its visual complexity and its role in conveying meaning and emotion.

 

This exhibition features works by artists from across the country, each exploring blue in their own way and highlighting its visual, emotional, and symbolic significance.

 

The exhibition will transform the entire arts centre, including a dramatic installation in our Turbine Hall, over 15 artist projects in our ground-floor galleries, a display of works from the Liverpool City Council Art Collection in our Theatre Gallery, and an immersive underwater-themed installation Rainbow, Mermaid, Fireworks by Emily Crockford and Rosie Deacon in our Upper Turbine West Gallery on Level 1.

 

Come see the exhibition in full colour from April 22 to July 20, 2025.