Dick Polak Exhibition Brings Uncommon Rock Images to the Gibson Garage London

A brand new exhibition celebrating the work of photographer Dick Polak opened on Wednesday on the Gibson Gallery contained in the Gibson Garage London. Titled Dick Polak: A twentieth Century Boy, the present options uncommon and beforehand unseen portraits of main musicians from the Nineteen Sixties and Seventies.

The exhibition presents intimate images that Polak captured throughout a interval when he moved simply throughout the interior circles of rock and cultural icons. His portraits embrace candid moments with The Rolling Stones, John Lennon, The Who, the Faces, Marc Bolan, Jimmy Cliff, and Anita Pallenberg. Many of the photographs spotlight Polak’s skill to mix into the ambiance round him, permitting artists to calm down in entrance of the digital camera.

Polak’s profession took a defining flip in 1968 when Mick Jagger invited him to {photograph} the filming of The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus. The occasion featured a uncommon efficiency by The Dirty Mac, a short-lived supergroup that included John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, and Mitch Mitchell of The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Polak’s images from that set are considered among the most revealing pictures from the session.

Polak, who died in April, is remembered by mates and collaborators as a quiet and straightforward presence who captured sincere moments with out staging or interruption. Charlotte Rampling recalled driving round Rome with him throughout a photoshoot, taking footage wherever the day led them. Steve Winwood described him as somebody who blended into rehearsals and studio classes till the fitting second appeared. Mick Brown famous that Polak not solely witnessed the Nineteen Sixties however preserved its spirit by means of his work.

The exhibition is accompanied by new artworks from Ronnie Wood, who contributed prints from his Paint It Black sequence. Wood mirrored warmly on Polak, saying he was typically current at gatherings, at all times photographing but hardly ever seen. Wood mentioned that Polak’s character is clear within the relaxed fashion of his pictures.

Visitors to the Gibson Gallery could have the chance to view and buy prints from the Polak archives. The exhibition was curated by the Dick Polak Estate, the Gibson Garage London, and RedHouse Gallery with help from RedHouse Originals.

The Gibson Garage London, which opened final yr at 61 to 62 Eastcastle Street, serves as an interactive music vacation spot the place followers can discover Gibson devices, attend reside performances, and expertise the model’s lengthy historical past.

Dick Polak: A twentieth Century Boy is now open to the general public.

View and buy pictures from Dick Polak: A twentieth Century Boy at Redhouse Gallery.

Images credit score: Dick Polak / the Estate of Dick Polak.

Author: Andrew Braithwaite

Andrew is the founder and chief editor of Music Talkers. He’s additionally a eager music fanatic and performs the guitar.