For the last 50 years, Jill Furmanovsky has been photographing music’s greatest icons. Now, for the first time, Jill is opening a retrospective exhibition ‘Photographing the Invisible’ at Manchester Central Library displaying some of her most famous works and hidden gems from her extensive archive.
Guest curated by Noel Gallagher and photo-historian Gail Buckland, the show, which is presented by Rockarchve.com, runs for ten weeks and features over 80 images. Subjects include Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Miles Davis, The Police, Bob Marley, Chic, The Rolling Stones, The Clash, The Cure, Amy Winehouse, Stevie Wonder, The Pretenders, Beyonce, to name just a few. Throughout the exhibition, visitors will be drawn into Jill’s unique relationship with her subjects and the emotive quality of her work. Bringing the stories behind the imagery closer, an audio tour narrated by Jill will be available for visitors to access through their own headphones.
Highlights include 'meditations from the pit' that capture the sheer joy and exuberance of live photography, intimate on-the-road shoots carried out for the music press of the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s and fashion-inspired portraiture from The Face era. There are sensitive images of reclusive subjects such as Jeff Buckley, Eric Clapton and Bob Dylan, as well as open-armed collaborations with Chrissie Hynde, Madness, and her greatest muse, Oasis, for whom Jill has dedicated a whole section of previously unseen images. It is this mutual respect between Jill and artists that has made her one of the most celebrated photographers of her time.
Contemporary content includes photographs taken in her year as Abbey Road’s artist-in-residence in 2017 and shots from the Glastonbury Festival featuring Stormzy and Billie Eilish.
Jill says of her career:
‘I cherish working with musicians, but it was photography that captured my heart first.”
Guest curator, Noel Gallagher says of Jill:
“All the great portraits, they’re shot with love and respect for the artists. She’s the best.”
The first stop in an international tour, Jill is delighted that the exhibition is launching in Manchester - a city which holds a special place in her own history due to the many local bands she has covered over her career, not only Oasis, but Buzzcocks, Joy Division, The Fall, and The Smiths.
Cllr John Hacking Executive Member for Skills, Employment and Leisure said:
"We are delighted that Jill has chosen to launch her new photography exhibition in Manchester's Central Library. Her connection with the city through her work with Manchester bands is clear and there is no better place to showcase her work than Manchester, a city which has such a rich and diverse music scene."
The exhibition is being sponsored by MPB, Hipgnosis Song Management Ltd and BIMM Institute Manchester and Yvonne Gordon.
The exhibition is on first floor exhibition space, Manchester Central Library, 15th April – 24th June 2023, St Peters Square, City Centre, Manchester, M2 5PD
Opening hours : Mon – Thurs, 9am - 8pm: Fri – Sat, 9am - 5pm.
Wheelchair accessible. 7 blue badge parking bays are located behind the library on Mount St