World-famous musician Paul McCartney could be coming to Ballarat in 2021, in what looms as a potentially astounding coup for the city.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Ballarat International Foto Biennale has secured an exhibition of the works of world-renowned photographer Linda McCartney, Paul's late wife.
Intimate portraits of some of the Beatles and some of the biggest names in music during the 1960s and 1970s will be on display in the major photographic exhibition in Ballarat.
The exhibition will run almost two months from August to October.
Curated by Paul McCartney and their children Mary and Stella, the exhibition Linda McCartney: Retrospective features more than 200 photographs from the music world and family life.
And, depending on COVID travel restrictions, they could travel to Ballarat for the exhibition's opening at the Art Gallery of Ballarat in August next year.
BIFB artistic director Fiona Sweet said she had been working for three years to secure the exhibition, its first time in Australia, and Ballarat would be the only location to host the major event.
"It's got beautiful photos of The Beatles on Abbey Road, Jimi Hendrix, and she was the first female photographer to have an image on the front of the Rolling Stone magazine with Eric Clapton and that will be in the exhibition as well," Ms Sweet said.
"There's a significant amount of photos of that time, from rock and roll in the 1960s early 1970s as she was a part of that community."
Ms Sweet said the magic of McCartney's pictures was their casual nature and glimpse in to the behind-the-scenes lives of some of the world's biggest names and the McCartney family.
"In these casual photos she captures the moment before the formal moment which is what we love about it."
Photos from Linda McCartney's visits to Australia in the 1970s will also be included, most of which have never been seen before.
Linda died of breast cancer in 1998.
"Paul, Mary and Stella are curating the exhibition and what's really important to know is that Paul is very interested in each exhibition having something quite unique, so he has gone in to the archives and found photos never seen before from her visits to Australia."
IN OTHER NEWS
Ms Sweet said the exhibition would have broad appeal from photography fans to music lovers and anyone who grew up through the 1960s and 70s or enjoyed a glimpse in to the era.
"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," Ms Sweet said.
The 2021 Ballarat International Foto Biennale runs from August 28 to October 24.
Tickets for the Ballarat International Foto Biennale featuring Linda McCartney: Retrospective are will go on sale on Sunday December 13.
