Rolling Stones: Against The Wall at Scream Gallery

Image Courtesy Scream Gallery London
Copyright David Montgomery

PRESS RELEASE


The Rolling Stones: Against The Wall

13 May – 3 July, 2010

Private view Thursday 13 May 6 - 8pm



































Scream London is delighted to present a revealing collection of behind-the-scenes photographs of The Rolling Stones by legendary photographers David Montgomery, Roberto Rabanne and Bob Gruen.

Heralded by Q magazine as “having produced some of the most iconic images of the sixties”, Montgomery is one of the most revered photographers in recent history. His career began at Vogue where he was responsible for seminal images of the 60s and 70s featuring Andy Warhol, Jean Shrimpton, Terence Stamp and Jimi Hendrix. The raw monochrome studio shots to be exhibited at Scream, show the young Stones in 1971, the year they recorded Sticky Fingers. An innocent yet knowing Jagger is caught in the lens of Montgomery’s Hasselblad, his modesty saved by Warhol’s iconic album cover for Sticky Fingers. A cheeky Keith Richards with back to the camera, glances over his shoulder at Montgomery, hair pointing skyward like plumes of a preening peacock. Montgomery was granted access to the band, capturing impromptu moments in previously unseen images taken in a Fish & Chip shop on the Kings Road, Chelsea. Using a Kodak Instamatic, Montgomery manages to effortlessly record un- choreographed scenarios.

Roberto Rabanne began his career in New York where his iconic photographs of The Rolling Stones, Bob Marley, Jimi Hendrix and other rock idols quickly earned him a reputation as a master at capturing iconic images and the exhilaration of live performances. During the 1980s Rabanne extended his photographic oeuvre, featuring in foremost publications such as Vogue, Time, Der Spiegel and Rolling Stone. Rabanne’s photographs featured in this exhibition clearly portray that he was “a witness to an incredible segment of history”.

Bob Gruen has captured the music scene for over forty years in photographs that have gained worldwide recognition. In 1971, Gruen became John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s personal photographer and friend, producing photos of their working life as well as intimate moments from their personal life. In the same vein, Gruen toured extensively with major rock acts such as Led Zeppelin, The Who and The Clash where he captured candid scenes of bands on tour, only achieved through long-standing personal friendships with the artists. In 2004 Bob Gruen was presented with MOJO Magazine’s prestigious Honours List Award for Classic Image, and the FAAP Museu de Arte Brasileira in Sao Paulo, Brazil held an extensive exhibition of his photography in 2007. In 2009 Gruen was featured in the music photography exhibition at MOMA in New York.


Address: Scream Gallery, 34 Bruton Street, London W1J 6QX
Telephone: + 44 (0) 20 7493 7388
Opening times: Mon-Fri 10am-6pm; Sat 11am-5pm

Websites:

http://www.davidmontgomery.org

http://www.rabannedesign.com

http://www.davidbaileyphotography.com

http://www.screamlondon.com

Mark Evans: Skin Deep at Scream Gallery

PRESS RELEASE

Mark Evans: Skin Deep

March 18 – May 8, 2010

Private view 18 March 6-8pm











Private view photographs by Michael Xuereb
http://www.michaelxuereb.com




















Scream Gallery are proud to present the inaugural solo exhibition of Mark Evans. Powerful images of contemporary icons from the worlds of fashion (Naomi Campbell), politics (Putin), sport (Muhammad Ali) and graphic novels (The Hulk), have all been meticulously captured by the skilful hand of Evans. Yet these are not the traditional marks of paint on canvas, but the incisions of a blade on animal hide. These images are Skin Deep in more ways than one, as a metaphor for the superficial nature of fame and the airbrushed images of contemporary beauty that we are so accustomed to.

Such a visceral medium lends itself perfectly to the portrayal of these potent personalities. For the Scream exhibition Evans is exhibiting a new full-hide portrait of the inimitable Supermodel Naomi Campbell. Evans’s portrait pays homage to Campbell’s legendary beauty, whilst at the same time depicting the primal, often masculine way in which beauty is viewed and desired…as if beauty is something that may be hunted or captured. Evans is also completing a full hide portrait of designer Alexander McQueen that he was working on prior to McQueen’s tragically premature death, feeling that this will be a fitting tribute to the fashion genius.

Mark Evans recently teamed up with Naomi Campbell for her Fashion for Relief 2010 event creating "Skin Deep" a portrait of Naomi based on the image by celebrated photographer Michael Thompson. The piece was sold at the glittering celebrity charity auction in London along with other items donated from event partners including: Lotus cars, jewellery by designer Stephen Webster, items from Vivienne Westwood and a dress by the late Alexander McQueen. In total the Fashion for Relief event raised more than £1.4 million for the White Ribbon Alliance Charity.

Animal hide lends itself perfectly to a striking image of Russia’s President Putin, capturing his machismo and confident gaze. An imposing image of the furious comic book hero The Hulk will be shown for the first time, his grimacing face and rippling muscles rendered skilfully by the blade of Evans in gamma green leather. The equally overpowering figures of legendary fighter Muhammed Ali battling Doug Jones in the ring, will be juxtaposed with ‘The Last Enemy’, a rendering of a burning skull reminiscent of a 16th Century Vanitas painting, with dramatic chiaroscuro.

Ten years ago Evans experienced an epiphany whilst attempting to remove a blood stain from a favourite leather jacket. Using the palette knife that was the tool of his trade as a fine art student at Middlesex University, Evans made a mark in the surface of the jacket that metamorphosed into a portrait of Jimi Hendrix, and there was no going back. Each piece is unique and it can take months to create the photo realistic etched-leather pieces that are Evans’ trademark. Evans sources skins from Scandinavia, South America and Italy, carefully selecting hides that lend themselves to the subject.

Working in skin is a visceral experience for me. It’s something primal I’m trying to understand. We live in this nano, synthetic reality. Our lives, our food… it’s all shrink-wrapped and sanitized… Leather is different, it was once a living, breathing creature, and in our digital age leather has an authenticity. Mark Evans

Although the use of knives to mark and carve animal skin go back to prehistoric times, Mark Evans is the only contemporary artist working in this manner, and he has a loyal client list queuing up to commission latest pieces, which can fetch up to £250,000. Evans capitalizes on the masculine nature of the material - and its association with Hells Angels, Rock n’ Roll, and gunslingers in the Wild West.

His extraordinary skill, more akin to sculpture than anything else, came about by chance. Ruth Corbett, Telegraph Magazine

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Born in Wales 34 years ago, Evans now lives and works in London. He has spent nearly a decade perfecting his artform, and for the last few years he has worked very much “under the radar” of the Art world. However his work has been discovered and bought by A-list celebrities, sports stars and private collectors and can be found on the walls of British stately homes, LA penthouses and in Royal Palaces. From March 18th Scream Gallery invite you to view SKIN DEEP, where for the first time the public can see a collection of Mark Evans’ work in the flesh.

Private View of Russell Young 'Dirty Pretty Things' at Scream Gallery on 4 February 2010

Photography by Michael Xuereb
http://www.michaelxuereb.com/