From the Beatles to family holidays, a rare Linda McCartney retrospective exhibition is heading to Ballarat
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11.12.2020

From the Beatles to family holidays, a rare Linda McCartney retrospective exhibition is heading to Ballarat

The Beatles Abbey Road London 1969 by Linda McCartney, cropped

We're thinking Paul McCartney might be making a trip to regional Victoria next year.

In a massive coup for the 2021 Ballarat International Foto Biennale, Linda McCartney: Retrospective will be on show for the first time in Australia next year.

Curated by husband and Beatles legend Paul McCartney and daughters Mary and Stella McCartney, the exhibition offers an intimate look back at the career of world-famous photographer Linda McCartney, who sadly passed away in 1998 after a prolific three decades behind the lens.

Linda McCartney: Retrospective features more than 200 extraordinary photographs, including images of the McCartney family and a series of prints from their trips to Australia in 1975 and 1993, which have never been displayed before. The exhibition also includes some of the most iconic artists and moments from the 1960s music scene, alongside intimate family portraits.

The photographs capture the world as Linda experienced it, representing the people, places and landscape around her in her inimitable spontaneous and experimental style.

Known for her portraits of Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones and The Beatles, among many others, Linda was the first female photographer whose work was featured as the cover of Rolling Stone magazine in 1968, with a portrait of Eric Clapton. It’s, of course, her uniquely intimate visual perspective on the biggest band in the world – The Beatles – that spawned some of her most honest work, documenting her extraordinary version of domestic life: as a mother and herself a founding member of Wings.

“In the vein of Dorothea Lange and Walker Evans, Linda often captured the subtle and fortuitous rather than the staged moments. Linda used the tools at her disposal to create moving and intimate portraits creating a new perspective in rock and roll photography. She captured the essence of those around her, providing insight into the personal lives of iconic artists and that of her family in later life,” says Ballarat International Foto Biennale Artistic Director and Co-Curator Fiona Sweet.

“Linda’s significant archive offers a personal glimpse into the cultural icons of the 1960s and 70s, through her eyes.”

An exhibition that has taken three years to secure, this is a huge win for both Ballarat International Foto Biennale, which has become the most significant, prestigious photographic arts festival in the country.

Linda McCartney: Retrospective will run from August 28 to October 24 2021. The two-month event also features an outdoor program, education programs, workshops, artist talks, foto walks plus awards and prizes.

Tickets for the Ballarat International Foto Biennale featuring Linda McCartney: Retrospective are available from 9am on Sunday, December 13 via the website.