Open Eye Gallery is a photography gallery and archive in Liverpool, UK[4] that was established in 1977.[5] It is housed in a purpose-built building on the waterfront at Mann Island,[5] its fourth location.
Open Eye Gallery comprises an exhibition space on one floor and an archive space on another,[2] and has large-scale graphic art installations on its external facade.[2] It is the only gallery dedicated to photography and related media in North West England.[5] It is a non-profit organisation[4] and a registered charity.[6]
Open Eye Gallery first opened in Whitechapel, Liverpool (1977–1988); then Bold Street (1989–1995); then Wood Street (1996[6]–2011); and finally Mann Island (2011–present).[2][7][8][9] Its current building was purpose-built.[5][9][10]
Lorenzo Fusi was appointed its artistic director in 2013.[5] Sarah Fisher replaced him as executive director in 2015.[11]
Open Eye Gallery has a "considerable archive"[5] of predominantly portraiture and documentary photography.[2] "Formed in 1980, the Open Eye Archive is made up of the work of more than 100 photographers and comprises around 1600 prints."[2]
Significant bodies of work are held by Bert Hardy (Chinese Hostel (1942) and Is There a British Colour Bar? (1949)),[1] Edith Tudor-Hart,[1] Tom Wood,[1][26] Chris Steele-Perkins (The Pleasure Principle),[2] Michelle Sank (The Water's Edge),[1][26] and John McDonald.[1]
Work is also held by[1] John Davies,[1] Gabriele Basilico, Vanley Burke, Bruce Gilden, E. Chambré Hardman, Peter Kennard, Mari Mahr, Peter Marlow, Joel Meyerowitz, Simon Norfolk, Martin Parr,[26] Ewen Spencer, Ed van der Elsken, John Edwards),[26] Ian Beesley, Steve Conlan, Philippe Conti, Will Curwen, Paul Fazackerley, Steve Hale, Sean Halligan,[26] Thurston Hopkins, Greg Leach, Peter Hagerty, Harry Hammond, Derek Massey, Neil McDowall, Rob Meighen, Paul O'Donnell, Caroline Penn, Michael Robinson, Ludwig Schirmer, Samantha Seneviratne, Patrick Shanahan, John Stoddart,[26] Wolfgang Suschitzky, Jan Svenungsson, Ali Taptik,[26] Sandy Volz, Wojtek Wilczyk, Rob Williams, and David Reid.[26]
