Tucked away in the high-end designer Village in Westfield you'll find the final exhibit in a trilogy from British photographer Terry O'Neill in association with Getty Images. Entitled 'Behind The Scenes', these intimate photos of iconic celebrities are a far cry from the pap-trash we're more accustomed to, instead harking back to a golden era when true celebrities were few and far between, not mass produced from countless reality tv shows.
O'Neil's career has spanned 45 years throughout which time he has shot many film, music and sports stars and his work with the royal family is famous for producing a more relaxed, natural image. This particular exhibit focuses on his work from the 60s, although there are a couple of more recent works dotted around, Amy Winehouse for example.
Most notable from the collection are the 'Night and Day' with Frank Sinatra and 'A Day in the Gym' with Mohammed Ali; the former displayed in a negative strip style showing Sinatra rehearsing and later performing a gig, the latter similarly showing Ali training for a fight. We also loved the super-cool, incredibly glam Bardot shots and there were plenty of Paul Newman photos dotted around to encourage wistful gazing.
O'Neill's skill behind the lens is not only brilliant composition, but his ability to capture the innate star-quality within each of his subjects and present them back to the viewer as almost other-worldy.
"Terry O'Neill: Behind The Scenes" runs until 3rd August 2009, Westfield, free entry, for more information go to The Westfield Village website.
