David Bailey in the times magazine 31st October 2009.
It was an interesting read, from one of the U.K s greatest living photographers.
Bailey was at the heart of the new pop art scene of the sixties.
A film Blow up was loosly based around his bohemian life as a fashion photographer during that period. He photographed the Karys London notorious gangsters, he mixed with most of the creative people of the day Warhol, Cecil Beaton, etc.
He is inspired by the pre Raphaelites painters from the 1800 early 1900s. As a fashion photographer he had no formal education in to his art and started taking pictures at 15. A few years ago I had an exhibition at the wharf arts centre in Tavistock Devon along side a close friend of his and one of the three photographers that formed the Olympus group of photographer. Bailey, Barry Lategon and Terrence Donavan.
Both photographers it was a privilege to meet and they both had a lot of time to listen to a see the work of other.
Bailey agent told me as I have mentioned before that Colleges and universities can put obstacles in to your ways of conforming and thinking. Turning out clones in art or photography. Especially in today’s world of new digital media. A .lot is very exiting but at the same time new boundaries are put up that are also new and possibly out of touch. Holding back in some cases the creative process. When is photography art and where are the boundaries and who has the right to dictate where those boundaries are. Is or can photography be art.
It is still a record of a period in our history. As bailey mentioned a lot of the people he photographed are not around now, his photographs form, as well as being very creative a valuable record of live. Well done Bailey and I know that you are aiming at doing many more projects now in your 70s.
The Times magazine October 31st 2009
An inspiration to photographers and students alike