Terry O'Neill (photographer)
| Terry O'Neill | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born | Terence Patrick O'Neill July 30, 1938 London, England |
| Spouse | Vera Day Faye Dunaway (1983–1987) |
| Children | Liam Dunaway O'Neill |
Terry O'Neill (born July 30, 1938 in London) is an English photographer, who achieved his greatest success documenting the fashion style, and celebrities of the 1960s. He attracted attention for photographing his subjects in unconventional or candid settings.
He began his photographic career working for a photographic unit for an airline at London's Heathrow Airport. By chance he photographed a sleeping figure in a waiting room; when the person was revealed to be the Home Secretary, O'Neill found further employment on Fleet Street with The Daily Sketch in 1959.
His reputation grew during the 1960s, and in addition to photographing the elite the decade's showbusiness icons, such as Judy Garland, Laurence Olivier, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, he also photographed members of the British Royal Family, and several prominent politicians, showing a more natural and human side to these subjects than had usually been portrayed before.
He had a longtime relationship with the American actress Faye Dunaway. His son with Dunaway, Liam Dunaway O'Neill, was born in 1980. O'Neill was married to Dunaway from 1983 until 1986. In 2003, he was quoted in the U.S. tabloid magazine, Star, as saying Liam was adopted and not their biological son, contrary to Dunaway's public assertions.[1] O'Neill is currently married to the former model agency head Laraine Ashton.
Terry is particularly well-known for his many iconic photographs of Elton John. A selection of them appeared in his 2008 book, Eltonography. Also among his most famous images[2] were the now-famous colour and black and white shots of then-girlfriend Dunaway at dawn on March 29, 1977, lounging next to the swimming pool at the Beverly Hills Hotel the morning after winning the Academy Award for Best Actress for Network, with several newspapers scattered around her and her Oscar statuette prominently shown on a table beside her breakfast tray.[3][4] A black and white shot from the series hangs in the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery in London.[2]
O'Neill was also credited (as Terrence O'Neill) as an executive producer of the 1981 film Mommie Dearest.[5] His only other film credit was for still photography for the 1987 film, Aria.[6]
[edit] Exhibits
Terry O'Neill has held three large, retrospective exhibitions of his photographs at Chris Beetles Fine Photographs in London - first in 2006, then in 2010 and 2011. They continue to be the main representatives of his work.[7]
In July, 2009, a collection of his work spanning his whole career was the subject of an exhibition at the Getty Image Gallery in the Village, Westfield Shopping Centre, London.[8]
An exhibition featuring his photography of Elton John and Frank Sinatra was also featured at the San Francisco Art Exchange in San Francisco from July to August in 2009.[9]
Leeds Gallery, an independent commercial art gallery in Leeds, West Yorkshire held a retrospective exhibition of Terry O'Neill's photographs during September and October 2011.[10]
[edit] References
- ^ "Dunaway's Son Liam Adopted, Says Ex", ContactMusic news index, March 11, 2003. Accessed January 28, 2007.
- ^ a b "About the Art", background information published by the San Francisco Art Exchange. Accessed January 28, 2007.
- ^ O'Neill, Terry "Oscar Ennui" (1977) Rights owned by Getty Images.
- ^ O'Neill, Terry "Faye and Oscar" (1977) Image from print owned by Photographers Gallery, Los Angeles.
- ^ Mommie Dearest (1981), IMDb profile. Accessed January 28, 2007
- ^ Aria (1987), IMDb profile. Accessed January 28, 2007
- ^ - Terry O'Neill at Chris Beetles Fine Photographs, London
- ^ Getty Image Gallery presents Terry O’Neill: Behind The Scene, Westfield London. Accessed June 22, 2009.
- ^ San Francisco Art Exchange: Artists | Terry O'Neill
- ^ - Terry O'Neill at Leeds Gallery
[edit] External links
- Terry O'Neill gallery and bio
- Interview with Terry - Gallery Rouge, St. Albans - Legende Celebrity Art
- National Portrait Gallery, article about Celebrity exhibition.
- National Museums Liverpool, article
- Millenia Fine Art, article and photographs
- O'Neill Award
- Photo of Terry O'Neill, courtesy of George Bladon/gbpix.co.uk
