LONDON.- McCartneys commercial and fashion work is familiar but this new body of unseen work brings together, for the first time, a more personal anthology. Taken without the agenda of a creative brief, her photographs illustrate the instinctive nature of McCartneys photography, a desire to record the life around her
Many of the works were taken behind-the-scenes at shoots and projects for which McCartney is known - her time with the Royal Ballet and fashion shoots but all in moments of unguarded reprieve. Intentional blur, movement and varied exposure shows that McCartney's latest publication is a collection of images compiled with no audience in mind, other than herself. They add to the overall concept of the exhibition and book, and a reflection in general that life is not always about perfection
Curated by
de Pury de Pury, Monochrome | Colour will be open to the public from 21 November to 5 December. The exhibition is selected from over 300 images cataloged in their entirety in the accompanying books, taken between 1994 and 2014, published by GOST in two parts
"Mary's work is all about capturing furtive moments of intimacy, says Simon De Pury. Her subjects, whether famous or anonymous, are not posing trying to look their best but on the contrary share a side in them that you would only show to close friends or family. Her still lives and other photographs without people are equally not staged. It is precisely because they are unspectacular that they touch a special cord in us. My absolute favourite work of Mary is of her mother's hands holding a frog. Even when magnified to an over life size it is an image that deeply grips you. It is Mary's artistic sensitivity that lifts her images way over just being casual snapshots. It has been inspiring and a great pleasure to work closely with Mary in the preparation of this show"
McCartney adds I have been to many fantastic shows over the years that have involved the de Purys. Im so happy to have worked with them on my own show and see it coming to life over the weeks and months. This exhibition is work from two decades so the decisions have been exciting and difficult. Finding new treasures and slaying dragons. Now its ready to show
Born in London in 1969, Mary McCartneys photographic work has focused on discovering those rare moments of unguarded, emotionally charged intimacy that offers us a new insight to the subject
McCartneys work, particularly her first book From Where I Stand, has concentrated on the world of portrait and candid reportage photography and is suffused with a deep personal investment that captures the creative chemistry between Mary and her subjects
McCartneys past solo exhibitions include Off Pointe A Photographic Study of The Royal Ballet After Hours (2004), Playing Dress Up (Goss Michael Foundation, Dallas 2007) and Developing (The Lowry, Manchester, 2013) and each showcased a distinctive, unreserved, style in an often visually vulnerable collection of images