The rock photographer Gered Mankowitz is better known for photographing The Rolling Stones, Oasis and Jimi Hendrix than he is for snapping rusty padlocks and corroding cameras. But on the quiet, he has been collecting rusty objects for 14 years and photographing them as they decay.
Mankowitz's still-life images go on show for the first time next week in London and are a refreshing break for the photographer from rock royalty.
"I always loved working with musicians but it is a joy to be entirely independent of anybody!" says Mankowitz.
He found his first object, a padlock in Ireland in 1998. "I was visiting my father who was ill at the time," he says. "It was half buried in his garden. I unearthed it and was struck by the extraordinary textures and colours," he says. "I began to experiment with burying pieces that I had in my own possession and waiting for them to evolve into something that I wanted to record."
When Mankowitz photographed The Rolling Stones they had not even released "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction". Jimi Hendrix came to his studio before "Hey Joe" was even a hit. Now his favourite photo is the rusty camera. "It has evolved so beautifully. It seems to trigger very different emotions in those who see it.
Hidden World, The Little Black Gallery, London SW10, Monday to 31 July (thelittleblackgallery.com)
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments