A shopping centre car park in Stockport, often dismissed as an eyesore, is the surprising inspiration for View Through a Hole. Waters’ series of sculptures reimagines the 1965 modernist screen as a celebration of the town’s overlooked architectural heritage.
Stockport’s Merseyway car park might not win any beauty contests, but its distinctive modernist screen has captured the imagination of local artist Alison Waters. Designed in 1965 by the late architect Alan Boyson, the pierced concrete structure—long overlooked as part of the everyday landscape—becomes an unlikely muse in Waters’ latest exhibition, View Through a Hole.
The hand-built ceramic sculptures draw inspiration from the views of Stockport, which are visible through the gaps in Boyson’s geometric facade. Each artwork incorporates a photograph of those framed urban landscapes captured by the artist’s nephew, Dylan Barker.
Barker’s involvement began as part of a GCSE photography project, during which he documented Stockport’s eclectic architecture. For Waters, watching him work was transformative. “It was then that I realised how interesting the shapes in the screen were,” she recalls. “I had time to really study them and notice that through them, you could see snapshots of an evolving town. It seemed like such an interesting way to capture a view.”
Waters distils these observations through her ceramics, creating tactile pieces celebrating Stockport’s many architectural layers—from Victorian façades to modernist blocks and contemporary structures.
A Hands-On Process
The sculptures themselves are the result of a meticulous, hands-on process. Waters begins by creating cardboard templates to replicate the distinctive shapes of Boyson’s screen in stoneware clay. She applies layers of slip to add depth and texture, followed by an initial bisque firing. A transparent glaze then prepares the clay for her transfer designs—photographs of Stockport’s skyline as framed by Boyson’s screen. These transfers are distressed to evoke the worn, weathered aesthetic of the original structure. “Finally, the sculptures undergo a lower temperature firing in the kiln to complete the process,” she explains.
The result is a striking series of reinterpretations that blend the sharp, geometric forms of Boyson’s design with the softer, tactile qualities of ceramics. Waters sees this material as a natural fit. “It does seem the perfect match for the worn concrete facade of Boyson’s screen and can be hand-built into crisp geometrical shapes,” she says.
Collaboration Across Generations
Key to the exhibition is Waters’ collaboration with her nephew, Dylan Barker. His photographs, which accompany the ceramics, bring another layer of perspective to the show. “His images beautifully capture the light coming through the holes in the screen, bringing them to life as individual shapes,” says Waters.
Barker’s work complements Waters’ reinterpretation, echoing Boyson’s ability to turn functional structures into artistic statements. Together, their work encourages viewers to see Stockport’s built environment through a new lens, revealing beauty where it is often overlooked.
Reclaiming Boyson’s Legacy
Alan Boyson’s public works, including Hull’s Three Ships mosaic and Salford’s Tree of Knowledge mural, are iconic examples of modernist art. Yet, as Waters notes, their integration into everyday spaces often leaves them underappreciated. “Many people will have seen Boyson’s public works, yet as they form part of an everyday backdrop, they pay little attention to them,” she says. “My hope for View Through a Hole is that it encourages people to take time to look more closely at his work and appreciate the detailed designs involved, elevating them out of the everyday.”
The exhibition also reflects Stockport’s broader story of regeneration and unrealised potential. “Within the town, there are areas that have been well preserved from centuries ago, some that have been re-developed post-war, and others that are currently being re-developed,” she explains. “Each regeneration retains traces of the former landscape while fundamentally altering it. By documenting the town’s transformation, I aim to capture and preserve a moment in history.”
Finding Beauty in the Overlooked
Ultimately, View Through a Hole is about challenging perceptions and finding beauty in unexpected places. Stockport’s Merseyway car park may not attract many admirers at first glance, but Waters’ work reveals the artistry hidden in its functional design.
“We rarely see towns like Stockport as places of beauty as we hurriedly enter or pass through them day by day,” she reflects. “Yet if we take time to slow down and really look, then the shapes involved, the surfaces, and designs can become works of art in their own right.”
View Through a Hole is on display at The Modernist Society gallery in Manchester until 1 March 2025. Visitors can explore Alison Waters’ ceramics and Dylan Barker’s photography side by side, gaining a new perspective on Stockport’s architectural treasures. For more information, visit The Modernist Society’s website.
