A selection of work from Terry O鈥橬eill鈥檚 illustrious career in photography will be on display at from 14 January until 1 March. As one of the most celebrated British photographers of the 20th century, with a career spanning six decades, O鈥橬eill is famed for his iconic photos of actors, musicians and politicians.
The candid style of O鈥橬eill鈥檚 photography emerged during an early job as a photographer with the British Overseas Airways Corporation. A chance photo of a man sleeping in Heathrow Airport turned out to be the then Home Secretary, Rab Butler, and O鈥橬eill鈥檚 image was catapulted onto the front pages of national newspapers and into the limelight. Since then, O鈥橬eill has captured the some of the biggest and brightest stars of his generation, with subjects including Jean Shrimpton, Nelson Mandela, Frank Sinatra and Audrey Hepburn. O鈥橬eill is fascinated by the talent and fame of his models who ooze the glamour of the 1960s and 1970s.
The intimate nature of O鈥橬eill鈥檚 images reflects the close bond with his subjects; the collection could almost read as a history of friendships and relationships. Close friends with the likes of Sinatra and once married to Faye Dunaway, O鈥橬eill鈥檚 photographs tell a lifetime of personal stories. The exhibition focuses on some of O鈥橬eill鈥檚 most famous and favourite images and includes such instantly recognisable works as David Bowie, Diamond Dogs and Dudley Moore and Peter Cook, LA.
O鈥橬eill was awarded the Centenary Medal by The Royal Photographic Society in 2011 in recognition of his significant contribution to the art of photography.
The Best of Terry O鈥橬eill, 14 January until 1 March, The Little Black Gallery, 13A Park Walk, London SW10 0AJ. www.thelittleblackgallery.com.
Image: Dudley Moore & Peter Cook, LA, 1979. Courtesy The Little Black Gallery
