SAN FRANCISCO, CA. (Michael Jensen/ Jensen Communication) - One of music's most celebrated bassists, Bill Wyman is internationally renowned for his stellar playing and instantly recognizable by virtue of his thirty years as a member of one of the universe's most celebrated - and photographed - bands. Not as widely known is that Wyman is himself an extremely accomplished fine art photographer who has practiced the art for well over four decades. While a fraction of Wyman's remarkable work has been seen in his five acclaimed books he's authored since 1990, it has never been exhibited - until now.
"Wyman Shoots," the world debut exhibition of photographic works by Bill Wyman, opens to the public at San Francisco Art Exchange (SFAE) on Thursday, June 9, 2006. VIP receptions are scheduled for Friday and Saturday, June 16 and 17, and the event on the 17th will also feature a live-via-satellite Q&A with Wyman, who will discuss his work. A revelation in terms of the depth of Wyman's visual artistry, this landmark exhibition was produced and curated in association with U.K.-based Raj Prem and Raj Prem Fine Art Photography, with whom SFAE has had a longstanding association.
"I'm very pleased that I saved all my photographs from when I started taking them in the 1960s," said Bill Wyman, "and I am very proud that San Francisco will be the first place at which my photography will be displayed. I have frequently said, when asked by interviewers about my interests, that I love photography. This will be the first time that my photographs will be seen in an environment that will do them justice. It has been a pleasure for me to put this exhibition together with Raj Prem and the San Francisco Art Exchange. Their professionalism and enthusiasm has given me the confidence to go ahead with it."
"We couldn't be more excited about this incredible opportunity to premiere Bill Wyman's photographs," said SFAE co-founder and director Theron Kabrich. "Bill has a very directorial and critical eye, and all images have a quintessential integrity to them. I believe that collectors will appreciate these elegant works before they have any idea who took them - that will be just an added bonus. Bill's fans from his many endeavors will, of course, be utterly enthralled."
The exhibition will feature almost 100 original images, mostly color, many previously unseen. Each will be available as 16" x 20" archival prints in small, signed and numbered limited editions. Among the works to be shown are shots of the Rolling Stones taken during Wyman's long tenure with the band, including images of Patti Hansen finessing a tuxedo-ed Keith Richards' bow-tie, Ron Wood posing with his infant daughter, Charlie Watts at a David Frost show TV taping and Brian Jones in a rear-view mirror. Also featured are an "Exile On Main Street"-era shot of one-time Stone Mick Taylor, a stunning glimpse of Jerry Hall, a dramatic, chiaroscuro-heavy visage of the band's frequent keyboardist Nicky Hopkins and several self-portraits.
What stands out immediately about Bill Wyman's visual signature is his intuitive sense of mise-en-scene, the way in which he frames each shot in a way that records not just a striking image, but suggests a specific moment in time and an astutely composed articulation of space. Combined with the evident connection that Wyman has with his subjects - his presence obviously goes beyond that of a professional photographer - this cinematic and often painterly context makes each work a compelling and lyrical window into his extraordinary world. Gracefully conceived, narratively dramatic and authentically communicated, Bill Wyman's intelligent and thought-provoking photographs resonate well beyond the time spent viewing them.
Other featured images include portraits of the legendary painter Marc Chagall and his family in St. Paul de Vence in the South of France, where Wyman owns a home - before Chagall's death, he and Wyman were close friends and neighbors. Other than the Stones-related shots, musicians represented include John Lee Hooker (with a riveting sepia-toned portrait), Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, The Who, and Taj Mahal. Landscapes from Wyman's travels all over the world are also presented; these include the Caribbean, the South of France and the English countryside where he resides.
Born in London, England in 1936, Bill Wyman began his thirty-year stint with the Rolling Stones in 1962, helping to build their reputation as "the world's greatest rock and roll band" as one-half of the group's legendary "straightest rhythm section in rock" alongside drummer Charlie Watts. Wyman has also released several acclaimed solo albums over the years including "Monkey Grip" and "Stone Alone" - also the name of his autobiography - as well as the hit single "(Si Si) Je Suis Un Rockstar." In the '80s he formed the all-star "cover" band Willie and the Poorboys, and for the last decade, Wyman has recorded and toured with his current stellar band The Rhythm Kings. Wyman's 2002 book "Rolling With The Stones" recounted his experiences with the group and was lavishly illustrated with many of his one-of-a-kind photographs.
Bill Wyman's career behind the camera lens has paralleled his storied life behind the bass for over half his time on earth. As a world famous participant in contemporary pop culture history, Wyman's perspective is extraordinary-as an observer and recorder of it through his photographic art, his vision is one for the ages. Experience it with "Wyman Shoots," opening June 9 at SFAE.
Co-founded in 1983 by Theron Kabrich and James Hartley, San Francisco Art Exchange, LLC is a leader in international fine art sales and publishing, with a global reputation as premiere purveyors of world-class pop culture imagery including paintings, illustrations, photography and more. SFAE has long represented the art of Alberto Vargas, album cover artist Roger Dean, fantasy-genre master Boris Vallejo and many noted rock/celebrity photographers including Ethan Russell, Terry O'Neill, Pattie Boyd, Mick Rock, Jerrold Schatzberg, Joel Brodsky and many others. They are located at 458 Geary Street in San Francisco.
For more information, log on to www.sfae.com
