Richard Kelly photography exhibition
We’re thrilled to announce we’ll be extending our exhibition with photographer, Richard Kelly, and we’ll be including two new rarely seen images of Amy Winehouse, to mark what would have been the singer’s 40th birthday.
Celebrated music photographer and long-standing official photographer of the Arctic Monkeys, Richard Kelly has been highlighting the best musical talent for years. He was the first to take a media shot of Florence and the Machine, as well as priding himself on scouting local Mancunian talent.
Richard Kelly: A Time and Place will showcase never before seen images of some of music’s most talked about talents including the late Amy Winehouse, John Cooper Clarke, Florence and The Machine as well as up-and-coming talent from around Manchester, including Anthony Szmierek and Akemi Fox.
The exhibition will open on Thursday 1 June from 7pm with a free launch event featuring DJ Camilla and Emotional Pop DJs. And, of course, it’ll be free to view for the public on the walls of The Refuge throughout summer. The exhibition’s opening also coincides with Arctic Monkeys preparing to take on Old Trafford’s cricket ground.
In the run-up to opening, we caught up with Richard. “The exhibition is called ‘A Time and Place’ as it’s a celebration not only of past iconic images of artists such as Amy Winehouse and Arctic Monkeys, but a celebration of new Manchester talent – featuring Akemi Fox and Antony Szmierek”, he said. “Manchester is renowned for its abundance of musical talent and it’s exciting to be partnering with such an iconic hotel, as Kimpton Clocktower has always championed local talent. It felt right to look to the future as well as celebrate the past with Mancunian Icons such as Ian Brown, John Cooper Clarke, and George Melly.”
On the extension of the exhibition to celebrate Amy Winehouse, Richard said: “When taking people’s pictures, I always try to distance myself from the celebrity and just see and capture the person. The images of Amy Winehouse I’ve added are from the time she supported the Arctic Monkeys at Old Trafford a few years back. I managed to catch her just before she went on stage, as it seemed to be a brief respite from the whirlwind that seemed around her at the time. She then went on to lead the crown in a sing-along of Valerie, it was magical. She was one of a kind and is definitely missed.”