A shoot for my long-standing client, Watches of Switzerland Group, took me to Mappin & Webb in Manchester’s St Ann’s Square. The brief was to photograph the art displayed throughout the jewellery showroom, including how it sat alongside the displays and brand areas.
It was a lovely subject to spend time photographing. The showroom is a beautiful space in its own right, and the paintings looked completely at home there. There was plenty to include, from the rooms around them to the smaller details within the artwork.
Geoffrey Key’s paintings in St Ann’s Square
The exhibition, Geoffrey Key: The Mappin & Webb Collection, was developed through a collaboration with Cheshire Art Gallery. Key has lived and worked in Manchester for much of his life, giving the exhibition a connection with the city beyond its location.
Mappin & Webb’s showroom occupies a Grade II listed building with a distinctive pink façade. It is dedicated exclusively to jewellery, with lounge and private shopping spaces forming part of the interior. It is quite a setting for an exhibition.
Photographing the art in its surroundings
The focus of this shoot was the art. The surrounding rooms mattered because they showed how the paintings had been placed and how they related to the furniture, displays and spaces around them.
The wider photographs give that context. They show paintings around the seating areas and beside a consultation table, with the colours of the artwork standing out against the softer tones of the interior. Including those surroundings gives a different view of the work from a photograph of a painting on its own.
Closer views then give individual paintings more attention while retaining a little of the room. A chair beneath a painting or a view through a doorway is enough to keep that sense of place.
Alongside the jewellery displays
I particularly liked how comfortably the art sat alongside the jewellery. The photographs beside the Messika and Fabergé areas show that relationship clearly, with both the painting and the retail setting visible in the same frame.
These views were an important part of the coverage. They connect the exhibition with Mappin & Webb and show the artwork as part of the showroom experience.
A closer look at the paintings
The detail photographs add another scale to the coverage. Alongside the complete framed works, I photographed smaller sections where the painted figures, brushwork and signatures could be seen more clearly.
The musicians are a good example: the full painting establishes the composition, followed by a closer view of the trumpet player. The signature and frame provide another detail within the wider selection.
I really enjoyed photographing this combination of art and jewellery. The showroom looked fantastic, and if jewellery is your interest, it is well worth a visit.
For retail photography in Manchester and across the UK, including interiors, displays and exhibitions within retail spaces, get in touch to discuss your brief.
