By Laura McCann
I don’t get star struck.
I’ve worked around famous people most of my life and celebrity just doesn’t impress me but what I am in awe of is talent and determination.
So, when a sketch artist I admired stopped by to see my photography exhibition in Nantwich, I found myself having a bit of a fangirl moment.
The artist in question is Tony Winterbottom, from Nantwich, otherwise known as “Drink or Draw”.
That alias isn’t just a whimsical question, it’s the choice Tony was faced with after attending rehab for an alcohol addiction.
In his youth Tony had attended art college but his life took a different turn and he ended up travelling the world, working in sales.
The hours where long, the pressure was great and Tony’s method of self-medicating with alcohol led him to an addiction he could hardly admit to himself, let alone to those around him.
When Tony took the huge step of seeking help and entering rehab, he realised this moment was harder than any before it, the stakes were at their highest because his life was in the balance.
It was whilst in rehab that Tony started to sketch.
It gave him a new focus, a way to express himself and a distraction from the addiction that had left a huge void in his world.
Tony is now over three years in to his sober journey and his pencil sketched portraits that first appeared on Facebook are now being sold globally and some are actually owned by the celebrities he’s captured on the page.
Yet Tony has never exhibited his work, which is where I come in, because if not now, when?
Tony’s first ever public exhibition will take place in a bar.
I know, it might seem a bit insensitive under the circumstances but it’s actually a very deliberate choice of venue.
Liverpool Arts Bar is a space for all kinds of creatives to meet, exchange ideas, relax, hear live music but yes, also drink.
So, the venue is an arts hub but the question remains, why on earth would I suggest a recovering alcoholic show their work in a bar?
It’s no secret we are a nation of drinkers, it’s a socially acceptable way for us to socialise and yet alcoholism still carries a stigma.
Tony, myself and Liverpool Arts Bar all want to break the stereotypes that surround addiction and send out a clear message, that it is okay to admit that you have a problem and need help.
The portraits on display are a collection of musical icons that shaped Tony’s life and he will be in residence throughout the exhibition to explain what each one means to him.
Our hope is that Tony’s art will inspire and prove that there is life beyond addiction.
Tony’s exhibition launches on the evening of Thursday November 17 at 6pm and will continue on November 18, 19 and 20 from midday to 5pm.
Entry is free and the launch is open to the public but you should book if you wish to reserve a table.
Bookings are via Liverpoolartsbar.com and you see more of Tony’s work on his Facebook and Instagram pages @drinkordraw or follow my page for exhibition updates on Instagram @lauramccannphotos
Liverpool Arts Bar
Recent Comments