Oasis 'Was There Then - Again'

Jill Furmanovsky's Was There Then exhibition originally took over the entire Roundhouse for two glorious weeks in Sept/Oct 1997. At that time Oasis was the brightest comet on the rock scene and Jill had been documenting their lives for 3 years. The band had recently released their third album Be Here Now, Tony Blair was unpacking at 10 Downing Street, and a digital revolution was taking place in photography. Sponsors for WTT included Epson and Olympus who used the exhibition as an opportunity to launch brand new digital media including the first consumer digital camera.

 

Many of the images here are the original prints shown in 1997, but Jill has updated the exhibition to include pictures taken over the last decade, including two of her 'joiner philm' images - one taken in Olympic Studios with Johnny Marr in 2001 during the recording of Standing on the Shoulder of Giants and the other from the Abbey Road sessions recording Dig Out Your Soul in 2007.

 

Jill Furmanovsky

 

"Oasis adopted me as their photographer at the end of 1994 because I worked faster than other photographers, and besides, Liam was prepared to work with me. In the mid 1990's the band consisted of Noel, Liam, Bonehead, Guigsy and Whitey. It was important that they could trust me not to feed the tabloid press with inappropriate images because there was a media frenzy at that time, having said that, the band rarely vetoed any of my pictures.

Noel and Liam's highly volatile relationship at the time was a gift to me as a photographer. I was an admirer of American photographer Diane Arbus, intrigued by family relationships and the brothers gave me free reign to shoot even when they were barely speaking to each other.

 

Oasis have surprised all the cynics who predicted an early demise for the band. Not only have they survived but have matured musically and personally. I would say they are now in their prime and perhaps their best work is still ahead of them. Looking back over these pictures I feel that some of my best work in rock photography was made with Oasis. My relationship them continues to this day, mainly because I have retained the role of an eccentric aunt with a camera who shows up from time to time demanding an access all areas pass. That they continue to indulge me is a source of pride and delight."

 

Oct 2008