FEATURE:
Kate Bush 3D
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush at Old Chapel Studios, London in 1978/PHOTO CREDIT: Gered Mankowitz
Could There Be An Art Exhibit or New Event to Celebrate the Iconic Images of a Legendary Artist?
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ALTHOUGH this was announced…
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 2011 in a promotional photo for Director’s Cut/PHOTO CREDIT: John Carder Bush
a couple of weeks back, I wanted to write about it now, as there has been quite a bit of Kate Bush activity. One thing I didn’t feature is how her music has is being used in the new season of the U.S. show, Stranger Things. It is not unusual a song from Bush should feature on a T.V. show or film. It has happened before, but she is quite selective about who she allows to use her music! Around the fortieth anniversary of The Dreaming in September, there will be things happening. The Kate Bush fanzine, HomeGround, is forty very soon – that is being marked with a special digital edition. I will be looking into her debut album, The Kick Inside, as it was completed in August 1977 (making it forty-five soon). One piece of news that caught my eye came via The Guardian. They reported how English photographer Gered Monkowitz, who shot Bush in the first few years of her professional career, is allowing many of his shots to be turned into 3D works. He took some remarkable photos of Bush. Mankowitz has also shot some huge icons and legends. There is this move to preserve some of his shot (including one of Kate Bush) and turn them into 3D works:
“British photographer Gered Mankowitz has an archive that spans 60 years, capturing an extraordinary array of stars that include Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones, Slade, Elton John and Kate Bush. Now, he hopes that vast treasure trove will be given a new lease of life after selling the lot to a company that plans to use digital technology to turn the images, among other things, into three-dimensional works of art.
Mankowitz is the latest high-profile photographer to sell the rights to his images, after a similar move by well-known musicians: Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen are among many who have sold their recording and songwriting rights for large amounts of money.The photographer, who lives in Cornwall, feels that this is about creating a legacy of his work, as well as a multimillion-pound nest-egg in his 76th year. “My work will be taken to new levels that I could never have hoped for by myself,” he said this weekend. “I feel very excited.”
Unpublished shots are among tens of thousands of negatives, transparencies and digital scans he has transferred to Iconic Images, which is owned by the US giant Authentic Brands Group (ABG), owner of the rights to some of the world’s most prominent stars of music, screen and sports.
The worst nightmare of any artist is having their work associated with unfortunate products or causes, said Peter Fetterman, author of The Power of Photography. “Often the heirs of great photographers are completely unable to preserve the legacy or even organise the archive in a professional way. Major museums are not equipped to do it or have no interest in doing it. What is absolutely necessary is to protect the legacy of these great photographers”.
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1985/PHOTO CREDIT: Guido Harari
Mankowitz has released his photos of Bush in a coffee book. There was a plan a while ago for a book to come out. That did not happen. It makes me think about the photos he took of her; some of the outtakes and general recollections that could form part of an exhibit. Think about other photographers like her brother, John Carder Bush, and the great Guido Harari. There are some stunning press photos, live shots, ones taken during interviews, in addition to more candid ones and childhood photos. Bush is sixty-five next, year, and I think that should be marked with various projects. Maybe some album reissues (with demos and extras), plus a tribute/remix album with some of her best-known songs and deeper cuts. There is room for a new book. I don’t think that would saturate the market or distil he potency and importance. Conversely, it would show just how much love there is for her, and how important she remains after all of these years! I think the visual side of Kate Bush is so captivating and tells as much as her story as the music does. With news that we could see a famous Kate Bush image in 3D, it got me wondering about a wider celebration. A gallery or series of days where Kate Bush was represented through the years. It would intrigue and excite superfans and the more casual alike.
Perhaps her videos could be playing, although I reckon the photos alone are worthy of their own place and space. From the fabulous shots by Gered Mankowitz; the decades-spanning ones from John Carder Bush, plus all the rest that show different sides to Kate Bush, surely next year would be a time to consider housing photos of the iconic Kate Bush. Maybe a special portrait of her or some other visual aids would provide this great interactive exhibition that documents the career and life of one of the most celebrated and loved artists ever! It will be interesting seeing what comes of the Gered Mankowitz/3D plan. Having plans put in motion that collates some of the best images of her would garner plenty of interest. I think that Kate Bush would support it too. Almost forty-five years since she recorded her debut album, there is still nobody like her! Having your photo taken is something that all artists have to get used to through their careers. Some dislike it or are not natural. There are those who radiate and provide something phenomenal with every photo. Legends like David Bowie and Madonna are examples. Kate Bush can be added to that list! When it comes to photos of her, the magnificent and incomparable Kate Bush…
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush at Old Chapel Studios, London in 1978/PHOTO CREDIT: Gered Mankowitz
ALWAYS captivates and shines!