Kate Bush, The Clash, Blondie, The Police are just some of the artists whose iconic images will be on show at
an exclusive new exhibition in Carnaby, London, to mark the 40th anniversary of music photography legend Gerard McNamara and his artistry and contribution to music. The exhibition fits perfectly in Carnaby, the home of music and youth culture in London.
Known for his photography of popular rock musicians and high-profile shows between 1979-1982, this will be McNamara’s first solo exhibition, set to open at 3 Newburgh Street from 12-21 April. The free-entry exhibition, hosted on behalf of The Museum of Soho, will showcase rarely-seen and unseen images from McNamara’s archives as well as his first ever published photograph of Kate Bush at her Tour of Life concert in 1979, which
appeared in Smash Hits magazine the same year.
One for music fans and photography enthusiasts alike, the entire archive was shot on the Olympus OM-1 camera, a stark contrast from the digital photography of today. McNamara’s unique style of shooting live bands on stage has captured many immersive images of artists in their prime, taking viewers back to a special time
in music and photography.
The exhibition will include iconic images of Adam & The Ants from The Kings of the Wild Frontier Tour in 1980 and a live shot of The Specials taken at Hammersmith Palais in 1979. Visitors can also expect to see images of Gary Numan, The Selecter, Iggy Pop, U2, The Pretenders and Toyah.
Gerard McNamara says of his upcoming exhibition:
“Carnaby is synonymous with both fashion and music and that makes it the perfect location to stage The Unclosed Eye exhibition. With such a rich heritage in musical history, it's a real honour to have the opportunity to bring the exhibition to the destination, where, forty years ago, I stepped into Smash Hits Magazine offices which were then based on Carnaby Street and secured my first published picture of the enchanting Kate Bush.”
McNamara’s photographs have appeared in numerous books and British music publications over the years including Mojo, The Face, NME and Record Mirror. He is still photographing bands today and works closely with The Specialized Project – a musical community that was created in 2012 to raise funds to help improve the lives of teens and young adults with cancer or who are living in difficult circumstances.
The Unclosed Eye exhibition will coincide with Record Store Day, 13 April, where visitors will be invited to enjoy McNamara’s photography alongside live performances from Parisian jazz singer Florence Joelle, up and coming singer songwriter Emily Capell and ska and reggae favourite Nick Welsh aka King Hammond. Performances start at 3pm.
The Unclosed Eye exhibition:
3 Newburgh Street, London, W1 Friday 12 – Sunday 21 April
Open daily 11am – 7pm
FREE ENTRY
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