Photographing the Invisible: 50 years of rock icons exhibition
For the last 50 years, Jill Furmanovsky has captured some of the most compelling musicians for the UK's music press. In 'Photographing the Invisible,' she reveals the story behind the lens.
A rare day off meant I could finally head over to Manchester Central Library to see Jill Furmanovsky's photography exhibition. A fellow photographer had mentioned the event to me at another exhibition a few weeks earlier, and I’ve been like an excited kid ever since!
My obsession with music as a teenager was at an all-time high during Furmanovsky’s reign. I consider myself blessed, as my formative years were during a moment in time when real-life music icons were at the forefront of the scene (what happened to true music heroes?).
So, I hopped on the train from Warrington to Manchester, a familiar route, to check it out. The exhibition took me back to my teenage years when the music magazines the photographer worked for - NME, Melody Maker, and The Face - played a huge part in my life. I lived for new issues of those magazines, eager to lose myself in the latest reviews, interviews, and features whilst chain smoking in my bedroom.
For the last 50 years, Jill Furmanovsky has been photographing music’s greatest icons. In this retrospective exhibition, ‘Photographing the Invisible’, she has displayed some of her most famous works and hidden gems from her extensive archive. Her images of icons like Oasis, Led Zeppelin, Jeff Buckley, Billie Eilish, Bjork, etc., encompass the music's energy, excitement, and something a little more.
Photographing the Invisible
‘Photographing the Invisible’ is guest curated by Noel Gallagher and photo-historian Gail Buckland, the show, presented by Rockarchive.com, runs for ten weeks and features over 80 images. Images include Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Miles Davis, Biffy Clyro, Sinead O’Connor, Bob Marley, Chic, The Rolling Stones, The Clash, The Cure, Amy Winehouse, Stevie Wonder, The Pretenders, Beyonce, to name just a few.
The promo blurb describes the experience as ‘a look into Jill’s unique relationship with her subjects and the emotive quality of her work’. The stories behind many iconic images can be heard through an audio tour narrated by Jill, so take your headphones/EarPods to get the whole 360-degree experience.
The exhibition is a movable feast with empty display panels awaiting "more photographs from Jill as she uncovers them." A guy I spoke to told me it was his third visit that week, a testament to its ever-changing form – something new to see every time.
Yesterday — or a hundred years ago
Wandering through the exhibition, there is power and beauty in each of Furmanovsky's images. Each is a moment frozen in time, a snapshot of a particular artist or band at a particular moment in their career. And yet, these moments feel timeless, as if they could have been taken yesterday or a hundred years ago.
Jill Furmanovsky's photograph of Bob Marley is evidence of her photography skills and sensitivity towards her subjects. It captures the reggae legend in a moment of relaxation, with his head tipped heavenwards, smoking a joint, and allowing her to capture the light of his profile.
However, the photograph also tells a story about the delicate balance that Furmanovsky had to strike to capture this moment without getting Marley in trouble with the UK police. At the time, marijuana possession was illegal in the UK, as it is now. And Marley's status as a Jamaican national made him a target of police curiosity.
Bob Marley - skilful framing avoids the eyes of the law
According to an interview with The Guardian, Furmanovsky had to be very careful when photographing Marley smoking the spliff, knowing that the police were watching his every move. Jill's skilful framing of the shot ensured that the joint was just out of the camera's view, deftly avoiding any legal complications that may have arisen from capturing it on film.
“He has a very happy expression on his face, but he was having a lot of problems with the police, so I thought it best to avoid actually showing him smoking – I’ve cut off where the spliff would have been.”
I feel time passing, moving on here — generations of music over in a flash. So many of the earlier artists and bands Furmanovsky photographed have since died, retired, or disbanded, leaving a void in music. The loss of rock and roll legends such as David Bowie, Amy Winehouse, Prince, and Tom Petty is felt deeply by their fans and those who recognise their value in music history.
Despite this sense of time speeding up, I am grateful for the memories and experiences these artists and bands have given and how they have moulded who I am personally. I'm thankful that Jill Furmanovsky's photographs have captured and acted as a caretaker for these memories, allowing us to relive them repeatedly.
Sensing a moment and capturing it
Jill Furmanovsky's photography is more than just technical ability - it's about sensing a moment and capturing it authentically and respectfully. Her photographs reveal her ability to connect with her subjects and capture the essence of their personalities.
In an interview with The Guardian, Furmanovsky spoke about the importance of preserving these memories and the role of photography in doing so:
"Photography is about capturing a moment in time, and that's what's so powerful. These moments become memories, and memories become history."
Photographing the Invisible is a collection for those wanting to relive the memories of key times in the industry. These images are not just photographs; they’re a tribute to the power of music and its impact on cultural shifts.
As Furmanovsky herself said: "Music is the universal language that connects us all, and photography is a way of capturing that connection and preserving it for generations to come."
Photographing the Invisible', 50 years of rock photography at Manchester City Library from 15 April to 24 June 2023. Admission free.
EDITED UPDATE: I saw Jill's discussion with Jon Savage regarding her exhibition last week, and I'm incredibly pleased I attended. She breathed life into many of her images, giving them depth and context. Unfortunately, she had to finance the exhibition herself due to a lack of available funding to showcase this essential aspect of our cultural heritage in our cities and towns. It's a disheartening reflection of current circumstances. Thankfully, Jill is a strong advocate for celebrating our cultural legacy.
I was so "busy" doing the restack that I forgot to Like your post and comment ;-) This was really fascinating. I'd love to see the exhibit. Maybe someday. When I was much (much) younger, I lived for music magazines. So-called candid shots were the best, when the musicians were just being themselves, not mugging for the camera. I love the photo of Amy Winehouse.
Fantastic post!