Amy Winehouse and Pete Doherty feature in Richard Kelly's photographs of two decades of music

In an upcoming exhibition in Manchester this month, photographer Richard Kelly is to unveil iconic images from 20 years of documenting the music industry's biggest stars.

Pete Doherty © Richard Kelly. All images courtesy of the photographer

Pete Doherty © Richard Kelly. All images courtesy of the photographer

Featuring the likes of the Arctic Monkeys, Amy Winehouse, Pete Doherty and John Cooper Clarke the shots were taken from 1999 onwards – and were selected from a box of old prints, which he rediscovered after moving back to Manchester from London in 2018.

Speaking of the images, Kelly said: "They document various bands, some of them have never seen the light of day. These are a tangible piece of music history and documents my life and the excitement of shooting these bands whilst on tour with them."

One of the key photographs to go on display will be Kelly's 'Free Ian Brown', taken in Longsight, Manchester in 1998. This piece, alongside other selected works, will be available for closed bids at a private preview event on 14 November at Colony Ancoats where the exhibition is being held until mid-January.

Funds raised from the sale will be donated to British Cultural Archive; a non-profit resource set up to "document, highlight and preserve British culture and heritage through documentary and social photography".

"You will see the documentation of music across 20 years," adds Kelly, "from me riding past the Ian Brown graffiti on my bike and shooting it with my first professional camera, all the way to a present personal project of mine, working with MCs and rappers in Moss Side."

Alex Turner of Arctic Monkeys © Richard Kelly

Alex Turner of Arctic Monkeys © Richard Kelly

John Cooper Clarke © Richard Kelly

John Cooper Clarke © Richard Kelly

© Richard Kelly

© Richard Kelly

Free Ian Brown © Richard Kelly

Free Ian Brown © Richard Kelly

Share

Get the best of Creative Boom delivered to your inbox weekly