While New York or London might seem like the obvious candidate for the center of the creative universe, since the 1960s a surprisingly large number of artists and other original thinkers have gravitated to Liverpool. As the birthplace of many visual artists—not to mention the Beatles, who, musical accomplishments aside, were massively important to the rest of the arts—the city’s impact on avant-garde culture is immeasurable. Of even greater magnitude, however, has been the city’s role as creative muse to outsiders, and it is this...