New Stockroom exhibition celebrates artist behind Merseyway’s iconic screens

A new exhibition celebrating the life and work of Stockport-born sculptor Alan Boyson opens at Stockroom on Thursday 18th June.

The Marvel from Marple invites residents to rediscover the work of a local artist whose bold designs helped shape public spaces across Britain, including the striking concrete screens at Merseyway Shopping Centre. With hands-on activities and community stories to explore, it’s a chance to celebrate a homegrown creative talent and see one of Stockport’s most familiar landmarks in a whole new way.

Cllr Dan Oliver, Stockport Council’s Cabinet Member responsible for Culture, said:

“Alan Boyson’s work is part of the fabric of Stockport, even if people don’t always realise it. This exhibition is a fantastic opportunity for everyone to explore the creativity that surrounds us, enjoy hands-on activities, and discover the stories behind one of our town’s most iconic landmarks.”

Boyson’s geometric concrete screens at Merseyway Shopping Centre, commissioned by the Co-operative Society, are among his most well-known public works. The Marvel from Marple also reflects a time when Boyson and other artists were commissioned by organisations to bring ambitious public art into everyday civic spaces, making creativity a part of daily life.

The exhibition will be led by artist Esther Johnson, who has been researching Boyson’s work since 2017 for her Ships in the Sky project. Through this research, she has collected a range of items specifically connected to Boyson’s work in her hometown of Hull.

Artist Esther Johnson said:

“Growing up in Hull, gazing up at the scale and beauty of Alan Boyson’s Three Ships mural played a formative role in shaping my enthusiasm for mid-century design and my desire to study art. When I began researching Boyson’s work in 2017, I was particularly struck by the monumental concrete screens of Merseyway and his sophisticated use of modular abstraction and repetition. Both Three Ships and the Merseyway screens are deeply woven into the fabric of their respective civic centres, being symbols of geographical and historical local identity that embody the co-operative principle of uniting communities through art.”

The Marvel from Marple will showcase:

• Printed tiles, photographs, and small Boyson ceramics on loan from private collections
• Materials from the Ships in the Sky collection, including oral histories and items collected by Esther Johnson
• Original architectural plans of Merseyway car park by Marple born Co-op architect E.P.Andrew, a childhood friend of Boyson
• A multi-screen film by Johnson, exploring Boyson’s work and how public art connects with communities, places, and personal memories.

Visitors can also take part in hands-on activities and workshops, including tile workshops, screen printing, artist talks and guided walks with the modernist.

The exhibition is funded by the Henry Moore Foundation and developed in partnership with the council and Sheffield Hallam University, where Esther Johnson is Professor of Film and Media Arts in the Art, Design and Media Research Centre.