Pattie Boyd (centre) rock legend muse to George Harrison of the Beatles and Eric Clapton with model and actress Jerry Hall (left) and Heiress Sabrina Guinness at the opening of Boyd’s photo exhibition at Lancaster Great House on Monday night.
Glittering crowd at exhibition by former Beatles wife
12/30/2009
By Khalil Goodman
QUITE a large crowd gathered for the opening of the photo exhibit by Pattie Boyd – rock legend muse to George Harrison of the Beatles and Eric Clapton – on Monday night.
Boyd is exhibiting photographs taken during her days with the musicians, titled “Through the Eye of a Muse,” at The Gallery at Lancaster Great House in St James.
Boyd was a successful fashion model in England during the 1960s and 1970s, during which time she married music legend George Harrison and later Eric Clapton, giving her a fascinating insight into the personal lives and intimate moments of a defining era.
Boyd shares the gallery space with Barbados-based American photographer Bob Kiss. Kiss showed his exquisitely made platinum-palladium prints from an ongoing project to document chattel houses throughout Barbados as well as new platinum-palladium prints of lilies.
Also on display were two massive paintings by Barbadian painter Ras Ishi Butcher as a preview to his solo exhibit set to open at the Pharmacy Gallery next month.
The appeal of the exhibition pulled in a lot of locals and British “glitterati” including model and actress Jerry Hall (former wife to Mick Jagger), Heiress Sabrina Guinness, actor and singer Michael Crawford and many local art enthusiasts.
In the heyday of British rock, Patti’s photography documented the performances, parties and lives of Harrison, Clapton and friends including Paul and Linda McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, The Who, Cream and more, capturing a warmth and intimacy reflecting her relationships with her subjects.
“I have lived a wonderful life,” she told the Barbados Advocate. “I was lucky to be observe and be part of that amazing time.”
She also modestly acknowledges her magnetic influence on those around her – she famously provided inspiration for classic songs including Harrison’s song “Something” as well as “Layla” and “Wonderful Tonight” by Clapton.
Newer images of landscapes, travel and flowers mark Boyd’s move to becoming a respected photographer having been awarded a Licentiateship of the Royal Photographic Society and her travels all around the globe.
“Through the Eye of a Muse,” has been exhibiting the past four years around the world, including England, the US, and countries as diverse as Czechoslo-vakia, Armenia and Kazakhstan.
Boyd and Kiss’ photos will continue at the Gallery at Lancaster in St James, until January 30th 2010.
