Lawrence Impey

Lawrence Impey was born in Bournemouth, England in 1951. Although his family moved to Nigeria in 1957, Lawrence received his education in the UK, studying photography at Bournemouth & Poole College of Art from 1971-74. After leaving college, involvement in the music business and friendship with various musicians resulted in a number of photographs, particularly of Squeeze, The Police and The Only Ones.

In January 1977 Lawrence Impey was the first person to photograph the, as yet, unknown rock group The Police and to coincide with the London dates of the band's current world tour, My Life In Art is exhibiting this fascinating collection taken from these very early sessions.

"My first photographic encounter with the band was at the Mayfair flat that Stewart Copeland shared with his brother Ian. I'd known Stewart since school days but this was ny first meeting with Sting and the original guitarist, Henry Padovani. Stewart wanted a 'tough guys' look, although the only jacket that Sting posessed wasn't entirely suitable. A photo from the session was used on the front cover of the band's first single 'Fall Out'."

"Later in the year I met the band in Sting's Bayswater basement, this time with new guitarist Andy Summers and then again in March 1978 when I shot the band at the Locarno Ballroom in Bristol, supporting the Californian group 'Spirit'. Here is the Police on the verge of stardom: dynamic, passionate, assured. In a little while photos from Bayswater and Bristol would appear on the back cover of their first million selling album 'Outlandos d'Amour'."

Since 1980 Lawrence has been working in IT although a further foray into the music business is now in progress. He lives in Mill Hill, North London.