New York native Catherine McGann picked up photography while studying painting in art school in the mid ‘80’s. Instantly smitten, she abandoned her brushes and hasn’t looked back. Shortly after graduation she moved to the East Village, where her journalistic, documentary style found a perfect home at the weekly alternative newspaper, The Village Voice.
She quickly became a Contributing Photographer, shooting assignments at a breakneck pace throughout the ‘80’s and ‘90’s, including a regular weekly nightlife column which continued for fifteen years with famed New York writer/personality Michael Musto. Catherine documented some of the most compelling personalities in music and beyond including: Iggy Pop, Marilyn Manson, Green Day, Aretha Franklin, Black Crowes, Diamanda Galas and others.
Catherine’s client list soon expanded to include Entertainment Weekly, New York Magazine, The New York Times, Spin, Mute Records, Guitar World and many others. Her work has been published extensively internationally, and she has been profiled in publications in New York, London, and Tel Aviv. Her work has been exhibited in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.
Believing that shooting a portrait is “an intimate thing, a two way street” Catherine favored working on location in 35mm black-and-white: “I’d rather be a fly on the wall in someone else’s world than try to fit them into an artificial world that I impose on them. I really believe in ‘the decisive moment’, that the best pictures are truly spontaneous, and almost given to you, somehow…”
Ready for a change, she packed up her negatives in 2001 and moved to Los Angeles with her family, where she currently lives and works.
Green Day had just hit it big and I was assigned by Entertainment Weekly magazine to shoot the band backstage at Madison Square Garden.
Marilyn Manson backstage at The Jon Stewart Show in New York in June 1995
Marc Bolan playing with T.Rex in Copenhagen, Denmark in March 1973
Freddie Mercury performing at Brøndby Hallen, Copenhagen during Queen's 'A Day At The Races' Tour in May 1977
Robert Plant & Jimmy Page performing in New York City in 1977, their eleventh & final concert tour of North America by the English rock band
Elvis Costello after a radio performance in Bussum, Netherlands, 1977.
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. they have dubbed their music simply "rock and roll".
Madness are an English band from Camden Town, London & one of the most prominent bands of the late 70s & early 80s 2 Tone ska revival.
Bruce Springsteen (Nicknamed "The Boss") is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and humanitarian.
The Stone Roses are an English rock band, formed in Manchester in 1983, meshing '60s-styled guitar pop with an understated '80s dance beat.
A photographic celebration of Manchester's rock music history. Free exhibition at Manchester Central Library until 22 February 2019
Edition 100 was created to give fans & collectors a chance to own classic, historical pictures of their favorite bands.
The Rolling Stones have been entertaining audiences for more than 50 years. Our collections share the best images spanning their career
Here are the very latest prints we have added to our collection. We hope you love them as much as we do.
