Terry O’Neill is known for his iconic photographs of 60's and 70's celebrities, including Elton John, the Rolling Stones and Raquel Welch.
In this exhibition he has collaborated with the Rook and Raven Gallery to let some contemporary artists ‘rework’ his photographs into their own styles.
The reworked artworks are hung next to the original photographs so you can make the comparison for yourself and decide whether you prefer the original or the modified versions. When you’re making changes to an original and highly regarded piece of work, it's inevitable that there'll be a degree of hit and miss.
What makes the exhibit work is that each artist has brought their own unique approach to manipulating O’Neill’s original photographs. They range from Pam Glew who bleaches the original image on to fabric and overlays it with the Union Jack, to James Mylne who recreates the photograph using only biro. The biro recreation is so faithful that there’s a video playing beneath it as proof – you wouldn’t believe it otherwise!
Fans of classic photography and the 60’s and 70's will enjoy this, as will many fans of contemporary art. If you like what you see, the works are also available to purchase.
Terry O’Neill - Reworked is on at Rook and Raven, 7 Rathbone Place, W1T 1HN until 31 March. Admission is free.
