Jonathan Oakes Capture Liam Hopkins at Sound Cathedral

Earlier this summer, photographer Jonathan Oakes spent a morning at Mayfield Park to capture images of Liam Hopkins alongside his large -scale public sculpture, Sound cathedral. The collaboration had been on the cards for some time – the hopkins have long been admiring the visual style of Oakes, and the sculpture provided the right time to the two creative based in Manchester to work together.

The shooting took place shortly after the installation of the sculpture as part of the Music for the senses Trail, a public art initiative celebrating the musical heritage of Manchester. Early light has provided ideal conditions: sweet shadows, a mute sky and a calm atmosphere that allowed space to explore the structure and its environment. Oakes has taken a series of photos, details and wide portraits that highlight the sculptural form and the creative process behind.

Sound cathedral is made from hundreds of acoustic guitars given through a community Guitar amnesty. Many instruments had been damaged or fallen in disorder. Those who were still playable were transmitted to basic musicians, while the rest has become a raw material for sculpture. Inside the structure, a wind mechanism begins the strings of guitars, creating subtle sounds and sensitive to bad weather. The result is a kinetic sound sculpture – architectural form in part, part of community monument.

Oake images reflect nature in layers of the room. Known for its contemporary and visually striking approach, it brings a strong feeling of composition while allowing material textures and the spatial context. The photographs are not on style sculpture; Instead, they clearly present it in its environment, highlighting the contrast between industrial materials and the natural environment.

Based in Manchester since 1988, Jonathan Oakes worked in the design, advertising and editorial photography. His work extends both fixed images and movement, often mixing both. It is known to balance audacity with restraint, and this quality is obvious here – especially in the portraits of Hopkins, which feel anchored and direct, without unnecessary embellishment.

Collaboration offers an appropriate correspondence of creative practices. Lazérien and Oakes operate at the intersection of design, crafts and visual narration. In this case, the resulting photographs provide a well -designed visual recording of Sound cathedral—A piece rooted in sound, structure and collective memory.