“Stars‘, an exhibition of works by the late British photographer Terry O’Neill, opens at New York’s Fotografiska in June with one eye on the celestial plane. Or something close: the 110 images, taken between 1963 and 2013, show O’Neill aiming his lens at the planet’s biggest celebrities at work and in their spare time: playing cricket on break, lounging at the poolside after winning an Oscar, commanding a stadium-sized audience. This is proof at last that celebrities are, in fact, not like us.
Born in 1938 to Irish parents in Romford, Essex, O’Neill began his career in an airline’s technical photographic unit at Heathrow Airport in London. He acquired an Agfa Silette camera to photograph people around the facilities for fun, and snapped a picture of Interior Minister Rab Butler sleeping, “surrounded by a group of African chieftains dressed in full tribal garb.” , Fotografiska exhibition curator Phoebe Weinstein told Artnet News.
This photo landed O’Neill a job at the British tabloid Daily sketch in 1959, where he documented Britain’s rising youth culture, befriending the Beatles and Rolling Stones before they were big. He went on to accompany Elton John and David Bowie on tour and married actress Faye Dunaway six years after capturing in iconic fashion the day after his first Oscar.
O’Neill then switched to the Leica, with which he remained for most of his career. “The Leica was very important to me,” he once said. “It was a fabulous camera to use, lightning fast, anywhere, anytime.” With him, O’Neill immortalized boxing legend Muhammad Ali, filmmaker Spike Lee and many James Bond actors through the ages. Although best known for his candid shots, his posed images are also not lacking in looseness and spontaneity.
“Stars” marks O’Neill’s largest U.S. exhibition to date and his first solo exhibition at a museum in New York. There, visitors can explore his work by subject and theme. “There’s a lot of crossover with the subjects Terry photographed, but he was also very dedicated and close to certain subjects,” Weinstein said. “I believe the way the exhibit is organized reflects that.”
And why now for an O’Neill retrospective? Well, Weinstein offered, apologizing for his pun, the stars right now have just aligned.
Preview some footage from the show below.
Audrey Hepburn plays cricket on the beach during a break from shooting the Stanley Donen movie Two for the road1966. Photo: ©Terry O’Neill/Iconic Images.
Singer Janis Joplin singing “Little Girl Blue” for the TV show It’s Tom JonesDecember 4, 1969. Photo: ©Terry O’Neill/Iconic Images.
French actress Brigitte Bardot on the set of The Petroleums a.k.a The Legend of Frenchie Kingdirected by Christian-Jaque in Spain, 1971. Photo: ©Terry O’Neill/Iconic Images
American musician Chuck Berry on stage with Keith Richards during the filming of the Taylor Hackford documentary Hail! Hail! rock n roll1986. Photo: ©Terry O’Neill/Iconic Images.
American director Spike Lee in Tuscany, 1993. Photo: ©Terry O’Neill/Iconic Images.
Musician David Bowie and actress Elizabeth Taylor first meet at George Cukor’s house in Beverly Hills, 1974. Photo: ©Terry O’Neill/Iconic Images.
Musician Elton John performing at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, October 1975. Photo: ©Terry O’Neill/Iconic Images.
American actors Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher as brother and sister Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia in George Lucas’s star wars trilogy, 1977. Photo: ©Terry O’Neill/Iconic Images.
American actress Faye Dunaway sits by the pool at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles the day after the Academy Awards, where she won the Best Actress Oscar for her role in the film Sidney Lumet. NetworkMarch 29, 1977. Photo: ©Terry O’Neill/Iconic Images.
Singer Amy Winehouse poses for a portrait during a concert in honor of Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday in Hyde Park, London, June 27, 2008. Photo: ©Terry O’Neill/Iconic Images.
“Starswill be presented at Fotografiska, 281 Park Ave South, New York, from June 2 to September 16.
Follow Artnet News on Facebook:
Want to stay one step ahead of the art world? Subscribe to our newsletter to receive breaking news, revealing interviews and incisive reviews that move the conversation forward.
