A huge event to begin 2009 with- Fear and Optimism was a collection of 24 of Liverpool's finest artists, collectively showing in two venues in Sheffield- Bloc Projects and Work Station.

Gordan Culshaw (Wolstenholme Projects) with his mixed up montage of The Great Escape, in which Steve McQueen manages to escape and Hamish McLain (Royal Standard- RS) with his painted scrolls, which viewers were invited to move along. Below, Gabriel Stones (RS) with his death plinth, perfectly fitting with Mike Aitken's (RW) monumental Death Metal script, made from sourdough and completely indecipherable.

Josh Tennant's Eating Series, in which he regulary throws up while eating an array of food, and below Joe Bampton's cardboard spyholes of the Mersey Tunnels in front of Birgit Deubner's 'Dungbeetle and Sisyphus', where Birgit pushes a massive ball of poo around Liverpool. Below right is Laurence Payout (RS) installing her amazing road view of behind Bloc gallery, in which her own work is featured as a never ending image

Above: Laurence again setting up, and one of three of Lizzy Willow's hand crafted birds- Lizzy is currently obsessed with ornithology. Below is Tony Knox (Mothmans) video of him wrestling and a comic strip of Mothman is Cologne. Next is David Griffiths and Neil Jordans video of Lord Mongo 'Roused by my Epilepsy' which was shot in Liverpool.

Mothman's performance on the night at Bloc- he held high a flare while the crowd watches on (with burnt retina's). David Griffiths photographs Nicki McCubbing's piece, which is featured in the Liverpool Art Prize 2009 (as is Elizabeth Willow). Below Paddy Goulds almost apolcalytpic look at politics and Tabitha Moses's credit crunch beating offer (this had to be removed from Work Station due to it's language!)