Present Tense

A decade since Liverpool EU Capital of Culture… What now? 

Edited by Laura Robertson and Mike Pinnington

ISBN 978-1-5272-4281-4

Published August 2019. Very limited edition run of 250 copies. Paperback, 96 pages, undersize A5, matt finish

Price: £14.99. We’ll deliver to anywhere in the world.

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Eight new essays on the city’s past, present and future from indie publisher The Double Negative – featuring daring new voices from the North-West, alongside acclaimed writers from the world’s biggest art magazines.

Talking about artists, collectives and venues including The Bluecoat, Between the Borders, Mohammad Bourouissa, Camp and Furnace, Banu Cennetoğlu, FACT, Barbara Hepworth, Homotopia, The Kazimier, Liverpool Biennial, Manifesta Biennial, MODEL Liverpool, OUTPUT Gallery, Queen of The Track, ROOT-ed, The Royal Standard, Tate and Tate Collective, Wu Tsang, John Walter and Richard Wilson.

Featuring new writing from Stephanie Bailey, Oliver Basciano, Jacob Bolton, Denise Courcoux, Mike Pinnington, Laura Robertson, Ellen Mara De Wachter and Eleanor Wiseman – produced under The Double Negative Fellowship 2018-19.

“The book contains writing that is upbeat, realistic, and honest about processes that bring positive and negative outcomes, provide opportunities but create divisions, and involve forces we should be wary of. This is like a beacon for those of us facing similar confusion and contradiction.” – Jill Howitt, editorial, The Critical Fish (Issue 2, November 2019)

“Can’t put it down or recommend it enough to anyone involved in the arts, especially NW… An emotive & informative little book cleverly composed by a diverse selection of contributors. I can’t imagine anywhere has my heart as an artist more than Liverpool.” – Jayne Simpson, artist and lecturer

“Present Tense – the title says it all. For anyone interested in the City of Culture phenomenon this publication is an essential read. It is the grass-root artist and curator speaking about their roles and experiences before, during and after Liverpool’s 2008 tenure as European Capital of Culture.” – Paul Collinson, artist

“For a city famous for punching above its weight, a book with a reach far beyond its 100 pages: Present Tense is a purposeful collection of voices that care…. about Liverpool, about art, and about cities of culture everywhere.” – Mark Sheerin, writer (Hyperallergic, The Arts Desk). Full review on Mark’s blog here

“This book is really very good! I love how it looks as well as the thoughtfulness of what it says. I’ve been telling everyone about it and I hope it gets a lot of recognition. It’s an unusually successful combination of art theory and deep rootedness in place, community and history.” – Dr Diana Jeater, Senior Lecturer in African History, University of Liverpool

Scroll down for a preview of the stories.

Read more about the book, and the authors’ journey through The Double Negative Fellowship.

Buy Present Tense (UK addresses, Signed For 2nd Class delivery, add £3):

Buy Present Tense (international addresses, Signed For 2nd Class delivery, add £9):

On Being Curious: New Critical Writing on Contemporary Art From the North-West of England

Edited by Laura Robertson

ISBN 978-1-5262-0237-6

Paperback, 68 pages, illustrated, A4 portrait, uncoated paper, dust jacket by G. F. Smith Papers

Price: £5. We’ll deliver to anywhere in the world.

Published in May 2016 by The Double Negative on behalf of Contemporary Visual Arts Network North West (CVAN NW): a network creating opportunities for artists, organisations and professionals to develop their practice, share ideas, knowledge & resources, and cultivate relationships. Read more about their work here. With thanks to funders Arts Council England, Lancashire County Council, Manchester School of Art, and University of Salford

On Being Curious is also available in print at a selection of public and university libraries across the North-West and the UK, including at the British Library, and as a downloadable e-book

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Turner Prize winners, super slow canal culture, DIY art schools… On Being Curious is an essential snapshot of British contemporary art and art criticism outside of London.

Unique to the North-West region yet contributing to national and international debates around visual art, the award-winning artists, projects, exhibitions, art schools, agencies and artist-led venues featured in this book provide a peek into the art scene across Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside, over a prolific eighteen month period.

Read ten essays by ten North-Wes-based writers, about thirty years of Manchester’s Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art (CFCCA); Turner Prize winners Assemble and the Granby Four Streets; Super Slow Way culture along the Leeds-Liverpool canal; trials and triumphs at The Royal Standard studios; what artists need at Islington Mill Art Academy; and much more.

Featuring writers (from the Critical Writing Bursary & Workshop Programme, 2014-16) Liz Mitchell, Amelia Crouch, Katrina Houghton, Laura Harris, Jack Welsh, Sara Jaspan, Lara Eggleton, Lauren Velvick, C. James Fagan, and Sue Flowers.

“This book provides ten smacks in the face to the idea that art criticism is dead.” – Oliver Basciano, International Editor, ArtReview

“The confident, clearly expressed articles in this collection provide an insight into contemporary art in the North-West, while also charting the development of new writing talent as it finds its voice.” – Chris Sharratt, Editor, a-n art news

“This is a book that encourages and celebrates new writing, contemporary art and curiosity, and as such, I applaud it.” – Jennifer Higgie, Editorial Director, Frieze magazine

Scroll down for a preview of the stories.

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Buy On Being Curious (UK addresses, Signed For 2nd Class delivery, add £3):

Buy On Being Curious (international addresses, Signed For 2nd Class delivery, add £9):

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