Bridlington Contemporary Art Gallery are opening again from today (July 8) for a summer exhibition with “100 Piers” by Paul Tracey.
Paul has produced a book to accompany his exhibition which will be on sale at the gallery.
Based on West Street,the gallery will be open Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 11am to 4pm until 31st July.
In the smaller gallery there is a separate exhibition of photographs by Leon Daley and in the Pixel Pod a new film to share with visitors.
Paul says of his project – 100 Piers “Piers are an English invention.They started as wharfs for ships to load and unload goods, then, as the railways expanded and people were able to travel further afield for trips and holidays, they became places to promenade. Steamships would take day trippers along the coast, or even to France.
“In the second half of the 19th century they developed into places of entertainment, becoming larger and grander, offering shows, music and plenty of other ways for the visitors to spend their money. Innovative Victorian engineering created piers that could withstand better the vigour’s of the sea but still provide elegant spaces for all.
“This historical development was mirrored in the US, with the West Coast piers originally developed as a landing place for lumber from the North West before being transported by train across the country.
“Every pier, from the grandest to the most modest has its own story.They have been blown up, blown down, knocked down, fallen down, burnt down, had boats knock them down and been the subject of bankruptcies and dodgy deals.
“This book is a snapshot of one hundred of them, some no longer standing, but none forgotten.”
Bridlington Contemporary Art Gallery, 3 West Street, Bridlington.
