The Salford urban landscape photographer behind Naked Manchester is to create inspiring canvases to adorn the walls in the historic Broadstone Mill.
The community-interest company was created by Stockport Council, Broadstone Mill and University of Manchester Incubator Company to help new businesses flourish within the framework of commercial and administrative support.
Salford photographer Neil Roland will be layering images which reflect the history of Stockport’s architectural past and Manchester’s cotton industry, but also the Mill’s current form in each of his frames.
Neil said: “Cotton is the industry that created the building that the businesses are in, this is why I have already been to the Manchester’s Museum of Science and Industry to take images in their fantastic textile department.
“But I will also layer these images with unique ones of the mill. I’ve taken some reflected in the bonnet of shiny black cars in the car park which have acted like a curved black mirror adding sexy arcs to the mills previously rectangular structure.”
The 47-year-old photographer has only ever used one camera, a Pentax K1000, given to him at the age of twelve, to create every picture in his collection of some tens-of-thousands-of images.
“I don’t use special lighting or a flash and I don’t use a tripod, this is because there is fantastic beauty everywhere around you without changing anything,” he said.
“Many photographers alter pictures but this is fake. I’m inspired by the real surroundings around me, especially Manchester so why would I change what I can physically see?”
Roland has been mastering his craft seriously for over a decade after previously working as a journalist and writing the novel Taken for a Ride, published in 2003.
His photographic art works now hang in 46 countries in every continent around the world which includes a collection of 50 large artworks displayed in the Rolls Building, London for the Royal Courts of Justice, for which he was presented to The Queen.
Another exceptional collection was his Naked Manchester series which provided a unique perspective melding the human form with Manchester images taken with a 35mm camera and no computer manipulation.
“I used sepia film for the majority of the collection so the human subjects naturally blended into their surroundings,” he said.
“If I had used a digital camera I could have made lots of changes, such as making tweaks to the models bodies but that’s not what I’m about.”
Roland’s attributes his love for Manchester as a subject matter to his mother and Manchester abstract expressionist artist Ruth Roland.
Mrs Roland is particularly remembered for her close friendship with fellow artist LS Lowry and Salford based paintings in the 1970’s which depicted the iconic terraced houses being demolished.
“Lowry always said to my mother that she had depicted the domestic landscape whilst he had envisaged the industrial,” Neil said.
“I remember the family driving through the streets of Salford and she would be scribbling away in her note pad and after she would go to the studio and paint these huge, memorable canvases of domestic landscapes that were disappearing in front of our eyes.”
Roland wishes to replicate his mother’s personal impact so the people of Manchester, especially Stockport will relate to and remember his upcoming Broadstone Mill project.
“I want to create real frames that will be an explosion of abstract colour and texture on the wall,” he said.
“Everybody can be a photographer these days but there are probably fewer real images being discovered because of manipulation and alteration to images.
“I will use the history and architecture of Stockport and Manchester to shape my images which I hope will inspire those working in the building.”
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