At Bonni Benrubi Gallery in New York, the exhibition Linda McCartney: Life in Photographs. Linda McCartney (1941 – 1998) was an active and admired photographer for over three decades. Her large body of work is known for its celebrated portraits, a wide range of subject matter, spontaneity and a lack of pretension.
This exhibition is planned in conjunction with the release of a retrospective book of the same name to be published by Taschen (May 2011). The volume was edited by Alison Castle with Annie Leibovitz and Martin Harrison as contributing authors. The monograph and the exhibit’s images were selected from over 200,000 images and negatives and were planned in close collaboration with Paul McCartney and their four children.
Linda McCartney was born in New York City and studied art history at the University of Arizona. While living in Tucson, she also studied photography with Hazel Archer, a well-known instructor from Black Mountain College.
After returning home to New York, McCartney began her career as a photographer in 1966 shooting portraits of rock musicians. By 1968, her portrait of Eric Clapton was on the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine and she made history as the first woman photographer to achieve this milestone.
She captured that era’s most important musicians: Aretha Franklin, Jimi Hendrix, The Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan and many others including her future husband. In 1967, while working in London, she photographed The Beatles at an album launch event and met band member Paul McCartney. They wed in 1969, raised a family and performed in their band Wings together.
From the mid 1960’s to 1998, McCartney captured her whole life on film: rock and roll portraits, her family, travels, celebrities, animals, and still lives. Her fresh and candid photographs display warmth and feeling for her subjects and are a strong and lasting reminder of her life’s journey and her artistic talent.
Linda McCartney:
Life in Photographs
Through July 29th, 2011
Bonni Benrubi Gallery
41 East 57th Street
Suite 1300
New York, NY 10022
