Be it the magical atmosphere of a live gig, defining sessions in the recording studio or candid behind-the-scenes reportage, great music photography distils decisive moments for all to see and feel.
To mark its 25th year as a unique collective of music photographers Rockarchive.com is proud to present, in conjunction with the Barbican Music Library, In The Moment: The Art of Music Photography. This exhibition showcases a selection of key rock & roll images and the photographers who shot them. It tells the stories behind these pictures in the photographer's own words and chronicles the history of music photography over the last seventy years.
Highlights include Michael Putland’s thrilling shot of Pete Townshend’s guitar being thrown through the air whilst The Who performed at Madison Square Garden in 1979, Jill Furmanovsky’s evocative silhouette of Oasis captured during the making of their video for ‘Wonderwall’ in 1995, a contact sheet of photographs taken by Brian Duffy during David Bowie’s historic ‘Aladdin Sane’ album cover shoot in 1973, and a recent portrait of the Arctic Monkeys by Kevin Westenberg.
So don't miss out on the opportunity to see some of music's greatest images. The exhibition runs until 25 September 2023 at the Barbican Music Library
Barbican Library
Barbican Centre
London
EC2Y 8DS
Opening times: Mon: 9:30am - 5:30pm
Tue: 9:30am - 7:30pm
Wed: 9:30am - 5:30pm
Thu: 9:30am - 7:30pm
Fri: 9:30am - 5:30pm
Sat: 9:30am-4:00pm
Closed Sundays
Closed bank holidays
Sinead O'Connor beautifully photographed by Jill Furmanovsky at her West London home in 1994.
This was taken during a break in filming the Oasis Wonderwall video.
Charlie Wats, drummer with The Rolling Stones, captured in his room in the Halcyon Hotel, London in March 1991
Pete Townshend throws his guitar live whilst The Who perform at Madison Square Gardens in the US, 1979.
Mick Rock cover artwork for the iconic Queen 2 album released in 1974
Robert Plant & Jimmy Page performing in New York City in 1977, their eleventh & final concert tour of North America by the English rock band
John Lennon & Yoko Ono in the kitchen of their home in Tittenhurst Park Ascot, UK in 1971, taken after an on-site press interview.
Prince posing backstage at the Paradiso, Amsterdam during his Dirty Mind Tour in 1981
David Gilmour’s superb guitar solo during ’Comfortably Numb’ on PinK Floyd's The Wall Tour
Bob Dylan shot while recording his 5th studio album, Bringing It All Back Home, in Columbia Recording Studios in New York City 1965.
All four members of Chic cannot help but groove to the same beat. Taken by Jill Furmanovsky at the Hammersmith Odeon in 1979.
The Clash on stage at the the first large scale Rock Against Racism/Anti Nazi League carnival at Victoria Park, April 1978.
Johnny Rotten & Steve Jones from the Sex Pistols performing at The 100 Club on Oxford Street, London.
Sheila Rock photographed this iconic image of Siouxsie Sioux for the Face Magazine in February 1982.
The Rolling Stones shooting the video for 'I Go Wild' in Mexico City in January 1995
"Bob Marley took a break from touring and came by my studio in Primrose Hill. He was in such a fantastic mode that day, really playful."
Johnny Ramone with his super-fast ‘buzzsaw’ guitar at the Hammersmith Odeon, London in 1980
David Bowie photographed with a mask at Frida Kahlo's house and museum in Mexico City in October 1997
Noel Gallagher of Oasis, with his signature Union Jack guitar taken at NEC in Birmingham in 1996
Contact sheet of Jimi Hendrix photographed at his London home on Brook Street in 1969
Inner sleeve artwork for Pink Floyd's album Wish You Were Here by Storm Thorgerson
Amy Winehouse captured in a Primrose Hill cafe during a photo shoot with Jake Chessum in February 2004.
Photo shoot for Telegraph Sunday Magazine used on Parallel Lines picture disc, taken in New York in 1978.
Nick Cave relaxing in a Brazilian rooftop bar with Saõ Paolo as the backdrop. Taken in February 1994
"I photographed them quite a lot around 1976/77 and then a few times later on in 1982, when the cool punk band had become a cool rock band."
Grace Jones photographed by Jill Furmanovsky at the Hilton Hotel, London in 1980 for the Face Magazine.
Jarvis Cocker captured in 1992 by Steve Double before Pulp achieved chart popularity
Bob Dylan performing live onstage at the Royal Albert Hall in London in November 2013.
The Arctic Monkeys photographed by Kevin Westenberg at the Palácio da Justiça, Lisbon for Mojo Magazine in September 2022.
The Arctic Monkeys photographed by Kevin Westenberg at the Palácio da Justiça, Lisbon for Mojo Magazine in September 2022.
Colour image of Pink Floyd performing during their British Winter tour in 1974
Limited edition screen print of Amy Winehouse by artist David Studwell.
Nile Rodgers enjoying the crowd when Chic played the Glastonbury Festival in 2017
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band who were in the vanguard of the British music Invasion that became popular in the US in 1964–65.
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk.
Florence and the Machine's style is described as 'dark, robust & romantic', a mix of "classic soul & midnight-on-the-moors English art rock.
Foo Fighters is an American rock band founded in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the death of Kurt Cobain.
Here are the very latest prints we have added to our collection. We hope you love them as much as we do.
Browse our collection of popular graphic art prints including iconic images by Storm Thorgerson and stunning work by contemporary artists.
Jill Furmanovsky is one of the greatest ever rock & roll photographers with a huge archive of iconic shots of the world's best music artists
Our contact sheet print collection is a rare opportunity to look back at the hidden moments surrounding some of rocks most iconic images.
