Wigan Album

I'm afraid they do now't for me.

I apologise to all Isherwood fans, of which there are many, and I realise his work is selling for a lot of money, but in all honesty, I can't see the attraction. In my eyes, (and we all have....and are entitled to....our own opinion), a child could have done better than this. I am probably doomed to be hung, drawn and quartered by Isherwood fans, but I just can't see any talent in his paintings. Sorry!

Irene, I agree with you and I think the other two paintings are even worse than this one. I have really tried hard but I fail to see any real talent in these paintings.

This is when he was in Junior 3

I'm with Keith, Irene and Gerry on this.
I'm not an art expert, so there may be something about Isherwood's work which escapes my eye, but I'm damned if I know what it is.
I remember hearing someone remark that they "wouldn't let Isherwood paint a petty door, never mind a landscape or portrait"!

I dont like his work or Lowrys either.

i agree with all of you on here what the hell is so good about this painting, my brother and a couple of my sisters are so talented in drawing and painting its unreal but their not famouse or out just family and friends know ,but for anyone to call this art are having a laugh arent they? our ellie could have done better and she is only 7 soz to all you fans .

Perhaps Rolf Harris is more up your street. Isherwood is a true son of Wigan and we should be proud. His paintings now sell for lots of money and quite rightly so.

today it is called graffiti

Perhaps Rolf Harris is more up your street. Isherwood is a true son of Wigan and we should be proud. His paintings now sell for lots of money and quite rightly so

At least with Rolf you can tell what it is after a few brush strokes

I don't like all Isherwood's work but this one is very good.
Its the top of Wigan Lane looking down Standisgate towards the town centre.
Very moody and atmospheric use of colour and you are drawn into the scene.

We are all entitled to an opinion but unfortunately some of us are prone to giving them on subjects where our knowledge is severely lacking. I suppose Picasso is similarly talentless judging by some of the comments on here.Sometimes it is better to maintain a dignified silence than to prove to the world what a bunch of Philistines we all are.

..... waits for the pathetic line "I may not be an expert but I know what I like".

I was never a big fan of Isherwood, a minority of his paintings did show some talent unfortunately he did not persist with that style, he should not be compared with Lowry.

i remember when a Picasso was on display in Madrid it had been on show for three months when they found out it was upside down

Didn't Lowry own an Isherwood painting? I read it somewhere.I love these paintings,the more i study them the more interesting they become.

I think if your not "that into art" then it's to each individuals taste. Lot's of people don't like Van Gogh's style. When i went into the Muse d'orsay in Paris there was some magnificent paintings that contained so much detail and must have taken ages to complete but wouldn't bring the same value as say Van Gogh's Sunflowers

I hadn't realised this board was frequented by such discerning,cultured and well informed people. Whilst we are on a roll, why doesn't someone talk me through "A Brief History of Time" by Stephen Hawking. No doubt many contributors to this thread could put him straight and tell him that the plot was crap and wasn't half as exciting as Coronation Street.

PS My final word on the subject: Monet has never been my favourite artist but I would never dream of saying that his work was crap or that he should be painting toilet doors. It would show a marked lack of class, culture and intelligence - who the hell do some of you think you are to criticise and ridicule a great Wiganer whose talent has been recognised world-wide (except in Wigan)?

I have painted in oils for as long as I can remember..but the art world is a funny old place,..I personally don't like art unless it looks beautiful such as Renoir Michelangelo DeVinci's..the modern artist Jack Vetriano is completely ignored by the art world and yet his work is going for quite a lot of money..his studio is worth a million so I read..but because he is self taught they won't recognise him or his work..last week we watched an art programme and one of the works of art????was a square which consisted of one big white oblong piece one piece of red and one of black..it was worth millions..am I missing something..I must confess to having a print of Isherwoods but only to see if in years to come it will be worth anything,it is upstairs behind the bed and it is staying there...but I also appreciate that not everyone sees with the same eyes..and there I rest my case.

Art is highly subjective. Whether it be painting, music or film the majority tends to gather to the centre ie top 40 music, blockbuster movies and paintings that look like photographs. Consequently the responses are hardly surprising. Individuals who go deeper into the arts in terms of understanding and appreciation develop a broader perspective from which to understand and relate to the medium. I am no art historian but I can relate to the impressionistic nature inherent in these paintings. There is movement, mood and an emotional detatchment which I find compelling. My sense is that this painter was highly prolific and very focused on his chosen style.

My parents are Wigan born and bred, not particularly well-educated and many of the comments I have seen (essentially dismissing it as "bloody rubbish") sound very familiar to the commentary I heard growing up.

A brilliant, atmospheric and thought prevoking picture. Great artist.

Very overrated artist in my opinion(As one can see from these paintings).Just because he came from Wigan doesn't make him or his work any better. Harry Walder painted Wigan as he and we all knew it, these look very amateurish, nay childish in comparison. If this one didn't say "Scholes Looking Towards Wigan, one would say it was a scene from the Blitz on London.

This is a brilliant painting!

Well said, Our Joseph! I don't normally get into arguments on here, but "Chuff", whilst being put out at what he considers to be insults to Isherwood, thinks nothing of insulting those who don't like his work as nothing short of imbeciles because we don't "understand". We are, ALL of us, entitled to an opinion, and at least I can say, "Chuff",that I am not afraid to put my name where my mouth is.

Can we have more of Isherwoods pictures on, best laugh I have had all week reading the comments, Chuff, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, in this case you should have gone to Specsavers, Isherwood never sold a vast amount of work when he was alive, death appears to have increased his popularity. No for me I'm afraid preferred the one done by the chimpanzee. Carry on with the comments, so funny and down to earth as we Wiganers are.

I have looked and looked but its not the Scholes I remember

Irene I agree with you but would add that some opinions are more informed and as such carry more weight than others such as yours.

Blimey,Ron,you started something here.

Joseph makes a very good point. The picture has a universal quality - we can bring many English or European city scenes and indeed times to bear on this image. If you want a photograph of Scoles looking towards Wigan - go and look in your Auntie Enid's photo album.

Cor that's smashin' Our Irene, gerr em towd wench! We like what we like and say it as we see it us Ince folk, if it upsets, well too bad.

Ha ha ha your right there Dave. The pictures came from an exhibition brochure, which was held at the History Shop in 1992 There are a couple more but these are only in black and white. If you don't like these, One called "THE DOG" would really get 'em commenting L.O.L.

Ron, have you done this on purpose, you little tinker?1 Ee, Lad!

These paintings remind me of my first classroom (age 5) at school they would be put in front of the open fire by 'Miss' (we used to have them them you know, open fires.) to dry before going home time, row upon row of the childers paintings.

Our Joseph, we had an open fire in the babies' class at the old Ince Central before we went across to the new school. Hard to believe now, isn't it?

It is Our Irene. It's also hard to believe I was in't babbies class and still remember what went on.

Apologies to the "Art Critiques"... Art my nether regions!

I have dreams like this when I've been on the creamy Lancashire cheese.Is that Rembrandt rolling in his grave or my stomach?

Mmmm... not really painted to be looked at from 2 feet away on a computer screen.
Try clicking to enlarge and then going back as far as you can in the room, then look again. The splodges and blotches turn into shadows and features.
I can't say that these are my favourites, especially that red one, but some of his work is amazing.

Still looks flippin' awful from on't landin'!

some i like and some i dont,art is very difficult to define its only one mans vision in this case isherwood.same can be said for picasso some of his work leaves me cold.better than a pile of bricks or an unmade bed now that is art.

Well, if the purpose of great art is to provoke a discussion, then this painting has certainly achieved that!

Whether you like his work or not is almost irrelevant - why? Because this is simply the art of an individual who paints the way he feels he should. What is interesting I think is that Isherwood does share something with other artists that have "made it big" in the art world. It is this, he undoubtedly devoted his life to his art and I doubt if he deviated from his belief in whatever it was he tried to do, in other words he was consistent, true to himself and his art, as far as I can tell. I think this gives him "authenticity" and by default "artistic" merit, whether you "like" his work or not, is as I said at the start, almost beside the point.He was a genuine artist, some may say misguided but nevertheless I think he qualifies.

Scholes ????????????? the mind boggles

chuffing hell chuff...don't be so condescending. Everyone is entitled their opinion just like you. You think it is good, personally I agree with the majority and think it is rubbish. Just because it has been done by a Wiganer doesn't mean we have to like it.

I won't make a comment on the artistic quality of the painting but I have to ask my self can it be that good when some of the people think they are looking at Scholes and some think they are looking from Wigan Lane towards Standishgate

I would buy this if I could afford it . His work is currently selling very well and not often available.

When was this painted? He's portraying Scholes as a hell-hole. Perhaps he didn't like his home town!

This is one of his 'better ones'!!!!!!*******