Phillips de Pury & Company in London is holding a selling exhibition of photographs by Linda McCartney titled “Life in Photographs” 7 – 16 June 2011. The exhibition is a selection of highlights from over 200,000 archived photographs which will showcase the work of this exceptionally talented photographer. McCartney captured spontaneous and moving moments of her life. The exhibition is curated in close collaboration with Paul McCartney and the McCartney family.
“It is exciting that Phillips de Pury is mounting this exhibition of Linda’s photography. This will be the 1st time large scale prints have been made available and I look forward very much to seeing them displayed in this wonderful gallery.“ Paul McCartney.
“We are thrilled to present some of the best work by Linda McCartney. Great visual sensitivity combined with a privileged access reveal her as a seminal artist. Showing her work in large scale prints only enhances it’s intimacy and power.“ Simon de Pury, Chairman Phillips de Pury & Company.
Life in Photographs will present a unique opportunity to purchase exhibition-quality prints from a moving personal collection ranging from her early rock ‘n’ roll portraits, through the final years of The Beatles, via touring with Wings to raising four children with Paul, Linda captured her whole world on film. Her shots range from spontaneous family pictures to studio sessions with Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson, as well as artists Willem de Kooning and Gilbert and George.
Linda Louise McCartney (née Eastman) was born in Scarsdale, New York, on September 24th, 1941. She graduated from Scarsdale High School, Westchester County, New York in 1960, and went on to study at the University of Arizona, where she majored in art history.
Linda got her first big break as a photographer while working as receptionist at Town and Country Magazine. She used an unwanted invitation to a Rolling Stones promotional party on the SS Sea Panther on the Hudson River in New York to document the event and photograph the band.
Linda became a professional photographer in the mid-sixties. Her pictures during this period chronicled the musical revolution of the decade. Whilst working as the house photographer at the Fillmore East in New York City she photographed many iconic musicians including; The Rolling Stones, Otis Redding, B.B. King, The Doors, The Grateful Dead, Frank Zappa, The Beach Boys, The Who, Cream, The Kinks, Traffic, The Byrds, Jimi Hendrix and, ultimately, The Beatles. Linda’s photograph of Eric Clapton for Rolling Stone magazine’s May 11th, 1968 issue made her the first female photographer to have work featured on the cover of the magazine.
In 1968, Linda was in London to shoot an assignment on the ‘Swinging Sixties’. Linda met Paul McCartney at the Bag O’Nails Club and then again four days later at the launch of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band at Brian Epstein’s house in Belgravia. A year later they married at Marylebone Registry Office, London, March 12th, 1969.
After receiving credits on Paul’s solo album Ram, Linda joined Paul on stage, as keyboard player and vocalist, in Wings. She went on to write and record several songs of her own, including ‘Seaside Woman’, released in 1977 through Epic Records in the US, under the band name Suzy and The Red Stripes. Linda’s album Wide Prairie was released posthumously in 1998.
Linda’s photography has done much to help promote the aims of many varied causes including the anti-fur lobby Lynx, Greenpeace, The Council For The Protection Of Rural England, Friends Of The Earth, The Great Ormond Street Hospital, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, The Hammersmith Hospital, The British Dyslexia Association, The Rye Memorial Hospital and War Child.
In 1998, Linda came to the aid of two other causes, the cancer charity Bacup and The Starlight Foundation – each of whom received profits associated with her sponsorship of the world’s first all-vegetarian professional cycling team.
Linda’s work has also reached the cinema screen. Her photographs of The Grateful Dead became the inspiration and focus of Grateful Dead: A Photofilm, produced from a process of making stills photography move and morph that was invented by Paul McCartney. The photofilm was honoured by entry into both the London and New York Film Festivals.
Following her previous work with short animated films – Seaside Woman and Oriental Nightfish – Linda also completed work on another animated short, Wide Prairie, which was shown in 1998.
Linda continued to work prolifically as a photographer throughout her life, documenting, amongst other things, family life, landscapes and the natural world, interiors, and portraits of artists. McCartney died of breast cancer in 1998 aged 56. Exhibition 7 – 16 June 2011 Monday – Friday 10am-6pm Howick Place London SW1P 1BB