This Linda McCartney Retrospective Is Full Of Surprises
She was the wife of Paul McCartney and the mother of Stella McCartney, an animal rights campaigner and vegetarian long before either was fashionable. What is sometimes forgotten about Linda McCartney, however – who died of breast cancer in 1998, aged just 56 – is that she was a successful photographer who actually met her future husband when she was sent to shoot The Beatles.
Two hundred of her photos, chosen by her husband Paul and their daughters Mary and Stella, feature in Linda McCartney: Retrospective, part of the Ballarat International Foto Biennale currently on show.
“She was a really, really talented photographer with a beautiful naturalistic style. She was the first female photographer to shoot the cover of Rolling Stone,” says Fiona Sweet, the Biennale’s creative director.
“There is a beautiful intimacy in the photos – they capture that moment of connection – but she was also an expert in the craft of photography. Back then, aside from composition, there was so much technical stuff involved that these days our phones take care of. She had to understand the mathematics of light exposure, the physicality of the camera, the speed of the film and the mechanics of available light.”
The photos on display include not just her work as a rock photographer – including portraits of Jimi Hendrix and Mick Jagger as well as The Beatles, individually and collectively – but also landscapes and images of her family. Although the retrospective has been on show elsewhere in the world, this is the first time that images taken when she and Paul toured Australia with their band Wings in the 1970s and 1980s have been included.
““She was a really, really talented photographer with a beautiful naturalistic style. She was the first female photographer to shoot the cover of Rolling Stone”.”
“There is a whole series of photos taken out of car windows – they were so famous, she couldn’t always get out and take a photograph – and you see her ability to capture the moment,” Fiona says. “In her earlier work she had been invisible … there was an element of street photography within that, but she ceased to have that ability.”
The Linda McCartney retrospective is just one of 100 exhibitions taking place as part of the Ballarat International Foto Biennale, featuring the work of local and international artists. “This is the only regional town in Australia with a photographic festival, and the town has really embraced it,” Fiona says.
“There are exhibitions within beautiful heritage buildings, outdoor exhibitions in laneways, exhibitions in bars and cafes and restaurants. Whether you’re here for one day or for a weekend, everywhere you walk you will see photography.”
The Biennale also features a strong education and outreach program, including masterclasses and portfolio reviews. “The ability to give back to the community really excites me,” Fiona says. “You don’t see it in other biennales that focus on painting or sculpture, but I love that we become a vehicle for exchange and learning between photographic artists.”
The Ballarat International Foto Biennale is on until January 2022.