Touring is not unusual for Paul McCartney, who has traversed the globe nearly non-stop for six decades. Yet, this time, his photographer’s eye is center stage, with the imagined tour t-shirt swapping one-night stands for months-long engagements. Launched last year at the National Portrait Gallery in London and having traveled to the Chrysler Museum in Norfolk, Virginia, ‘Paul McCartney Photographs 1963–64, Eyes of the Storm’ now graces the Brooklyn Museum before heading to Portland in the autumn. Happily, McCartney attended this week’s opening, where the program of over 250 photographs impressed with its quality craftsmanship and unpretentious candidness—hallmarks of the artist’s approach.
The multi-gallery exhibition on the 5th floor provides a chaptered overview of more than 250 photographs, many unseen by the public, taken between November 1963 and February 1964. These images offer a unique insider’s view of Beatlemania, capturing intimate and candid moments as The Beatles rose from UK sensations to global superstars. McCartney’s collection confidently showcases his talents with peerless high-quality prints that capture the essence and communicate the dynamics during those frenetic months. Rather than hurried or slapdash shots, the works reveal the sensitivity of the shooter, his respectful empathy for the subjects, and what can be described as the innocence of the time.
It’s easy to forget that these photographs document a significant period in 20th-century music and culture, a time so transformative that it seems improbable any band could again evoke the excitement and intensity of The Beatles’ early fame. Now viewed as a foundational moment for future popular culture and musical entertainment developments, these frank and sometimes humorous shots provide a crucial historical record.
McCartney’s detailed curation and collaboration with galleries worldwide emphasize his singular vision and appreciation for the rich culture fostered by collaboration. For Beatles fans and photography enthusiasts alike, this exhibition offers a delightful glimpse into history through the lens of one of its most iconic figures.
Paul McCartney Photographs 1963–64: Eyes of the Storm
May 3–August 18, 2024
Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Gallery, 5th Floor
Click HERE for more information about the exhibit.
Other Articles You May Like from BSA:
A fun time on the streets this week in New York and elsewhere in the Northern Hemisphere as parts of spring infuse the air with excitement and hormones - later to be drowned in rain, or smothered ...
Welcome to BSA Images of the Week. Happy Easter! Sameach Pesach! Ramadan Mubarak! It's a rare year when all three of these holidays are happening at the same time. It's a religious trifecta th...
Sophisticated and poppy palette-play coupled with a mid century affection for abstract geometry? Meet the night-glo arcade color selections and graphically charged motion of a 90s inspired digital gra...
Cities are urgently playing the deliberate gentrification/beautification card by bringing in the murals to give the place a facelift: Richmond just finished their third, Chicago is gearing up fo...
Expert colorist KOBRA rocked a New York theme in Williamsburg last week with his own tesla patterned faces of Andy Warhol and Jean Michel Basquiat. Not exactly the scale you usually see him doing - li...