Noel Gallagher Calls For Lowry Paintings To Be Made Public

Noel Gallagher is backing calls for gallery bosses in London to display paintings by L.S. Lowry, calling the British artist's work "very brilliant".

The rocker is a big fan of Lowry, famed for painting industrial Britain, and even paid tribute to the painter in Oasis' animated music video for The Masterplan in 2006.

Gallagher is now backing actor Sir Ian MCKellen's campaign to convince officials at London's famous Tate Britain museum to exhibit 23 Lowry pieces that are currently kept in private.

Speaking in MCKellen's U.K. TV documentary Looking for Lowry, Gallagher admits he has always admired the artist for his honest depiction of life in the north of England.

He says, "It's like when did you first hear the Beatles? Lowry has always been there... I guess all the people Lowry ever met are there in his paintings...

"Everybody's on the move. There's nobody standing still. They're very brilliant... You get great skies up in Manchester, real turbulent. Grey skies and tall buildings and a little scraggy dog."

Gallagher goes on to question why Lowry's artwork has been kept from the public, adding: "They're not considered Tate worthy. Is it just because he was a northerner? Does anybody know why? Why? What's the official line?"

Source: www.contactmusic.com