All images © David Walker
David Walker got in touch the other day to share some images from his recent work Under the shadow of mad Richard’s folly. Introducing the project, he writes:
"In this dense wooded land dating back to the early 17th century there is a rich, and somewhat unsettling history. It includes a wealthy, and morally questionable young aristocrat Richard Atherton who in 1723 commissioned architect William Wakefield to build Atherton Hall, only to die three years later at the age of 26, not before making himself very unpopular locally by expelling the congregation of the now famous Chowbent Chapel in 1721. It’s also rumoured he harboured the invading Scots at the Hall. Also, a now disused railway line that encountered the first trials of Stevensons Lancashire Witch, A dubious Children's home, Bear bating, ghost sightings, various suicides, and the Chowbent Races all happened within it’s boundaries."
He goes on to explain:
"In this project I’ve used some of those various researched historical allegories and references to inspire me to create some disquieting stories of my own."
On leaving secondary school at the age of 15 David joined his first advertising agency. He had a very successful career as a Senior Art Director for over 30 years. In 1983 he began seeking creative fulfilment outside the world of advertising with a parallel career in photographic art. He has completed six major projects since that time, with exhibitions at the Lowry Salford, Cornerhouse Manchester, Gallery Oldham, Static Liverpool, Touchstones Rochdale and the Turnpike Leigh. In 2006, he also curated the show Between today and yesterday at the Turnpike featuring the work of Idris Khan, Hannah Starkey, Martin Parr, Richard Billingham,Tony Ray Jones, Peter Kennard, Paul Hill, and Brian Griffin.
