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The Manc -
30th January 2020
The Manc -
30th January 2020 News
Local artist Michael Browne unveils striking new piece after controversial Donald Trump portrait
Danny Jones
Local artist Michael Browne recently debuted another striking new work in central Manchester following his much-talked-about Donald Trump painting.
And if you’ve seen that one, you’ll know that’s quite the statement.
The 62-year-old Moss Side-born artist has enjoyed an increased level of popularity since and his statement piece and de-facto political cartoon following the result of 2025 US presidential election popped up centre-stage in a window on the corner of Deansgate earlier this year.
Now, just a couple of months on from his piece’s debut, Browne is back with another painting loaded with historical and social material that serves as a commentary on contemporary UK culture.
Taking a rather stark look not only at the British Empire and global politics – subjects he’s already flirted with plenty in the past – this towering new painting is entitled Sovereign Servant.
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Designed to be a thought-provoking reflection on the legacy on the Empire and its impact on modern UK society as we know it today, it takes stylistic inspiration from Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres’ The Apotheosis of Homer, as seen at the Louvre.
Reimagining Britain’s colonial history, controversial impact across the globe; economic exploitation and ever-evolving national identity in a vibrant and truly eye-catching multi-character portrait.
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Several faces can picked out from the crowd, including two very obvious royals smack back in the middle of the picture, but other standout aspects include Big Ben and the Palace of Westminster as the backdrop, as well the high contrast colour palette.
All set on the deck of a ship in the most obvious nod towards the nation’s naval fleet and centuries colonialism, not to mention a swirling stormy sky, there is a real sense of the movement to the image even with so many figures standing straight towards the the viewer.
Unveiled to the public in a special event featuring a live Q&A at the museum, as well as series of drop-in sessions with Browne himself last week, his latest neo-classical creation certainly left an impression.
Speaking on its reveal, Browne said: “As a mixed heritage man from the North, I have often compared London’s royal heritage and standing as the centre of the British Empire with Manchester’s working-
class heritage born out of industrial hard labour.
“I couldn’t resist juxtaposing these themes within one visual arena, contrasting the British
desire for one overarching identity and the reality of a thriving multicultural society. I wanted to revisit those triumphant depictions of Empire to present a vision of how it appears to me today.”
Now on public display, it’s certainly something worth seeing up close for yourselves.
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- Five Manchester artists we’ve been listening to this month | February 2025
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Featured Images — Manchester Museum (supplied)
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Plans submitted to demolish 54-year-old Greater Manchester shopping centre
Emily Sergeant
Detailed plans have officially been submitted for the demolition of a once-thriving shopping centre that’s stood standing for half a century.
You may remember that Bolton Council purchased the Crompton Place shopping centre back in 2018 as part of its town centre regeneration masterplan, with the intent to demolish the building’s original structure and use the newly-cleared space for public performances, events, pop-up markets and loads more.
Pending approval later this year, the Council has now formally submitted demolition plans, with the process taking just 50 weeks and being completed in a single phase.
Visitors to Bolton town centre are expected to ‘quickly see the benefits’ of the demolition, according to the Council, thanks to the reintroduction of a direct pedestrian route between Victoria Square and Bradshawgate.
Ahead of the long-term use of the space, the Council says this so-called ‘meanwhile use’ in the short period between demolition and the start of new developments will ensure the area remains ‘vibrant’ and continues to attract visitors to the town centre in order to support local businesses.
The transformation of Crompton Place is Bolton’s flagship redevelopment project and work is said to be ‘well underway’ to find the right developers for the site.
Planning was previously granted for a mixed-use development to replace Crompton Place, including leisure and hospitality venues, but once developers are appointed, they will hold a public consultation on the future for the site – including how it’ll benefit the wider town centre.
The demolition of Crompton Place follows years of work to relocate the former tenants of the shopping centre elsewhere in the town centre.
“This demolition plan marks the start of a truly transformational project in the heart of Bolton town centre,” commented Bolton Council Leader Nick Peel, as the plans were formally detailed and submitted this week.
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“Last year saw several regeneration projects successfully delivered, but the start of work on Crompton Place sends a clear signal that Bolton means business.
“We have already had significant interest in the site, and we are confident that investment in the site will attract even more developers to other parts of the town centre.”
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