Portraits taken in early 60s reveal intimate moments before band’s fame became all-consuming
A collection of photographs taken by Paul McCartney when the Beatles were on the brink of global stardom are to be shown in an exhibition that sheds light on intimate moments as the group first experienced fame.
Paul McCartney: Rearview Mirror, which opens at the Gagosian gallery in London on 28 August, features more than 30 shots taken by the singer-songwriter during late 1963 after the release of the Beatles’ first album, and early 1964 as they travelled to the US.
Joshua Chuang, the Gagosian’s director of photography, said the images captured the Beatles before the all-consuming fame of a few months later. “When Paul is most prolific when using his camera parallels the time in which they actually had time. When they weren’t so overwhelmed by being so overexposed and in demand,” Chuang said.
“It was a really precious few months in which they’re realising who they are, who they are to other people, and want to participate in that image formation.”
