Laurie Lewis (photographer)

Laurie Lewis (born 1944) is a British photographer and filmmaker known for his portrait photographs of 1970s rock musicians and theatre photography.

Early life and education

Lewis was born in 1944.^[1] At sixteen years old, Lewis began studying at Walthamstow College of Art alongside fellow pupils Terry Day and Viv Stanshall. At the end of his first year, the school saw a change in its teaching style as the lecturers retired and were replaced by younger tutors including William Green, Peter Blake and Fred Cuming. He later described his four years at the school as "the hardest I ever worked in anything, ever".^[2]

After leaving Walthamstow in 1964, Lewis began studying film at the Royal College of Art.^[2]

Career

In the 1970s, Lewis began working with the photographic printer Michael Spry at his darkrooms in London. Spry developed several works by Lewis including his portrait of the dancer Rudolf Nureyev.^[3]

Lewis's theatre photography has been printed in The Independent since the 1980s.^[4][5] His work has also been used to advertise performances at the Royal Opera House.^[6] In 2003, he wrote the screenplay for the documentary Gandolfi - Family Business, which focused on the titular family of field camera makers.^[7] It was directed by the photographer Ken Griffiths and his brother David.^[8]

Collections

As of June 2024^[update], the National Portrait Gallery in London holds sixteen prints created by Lewis. The works feature celebrities including rock musicians Mick Jagger, Rod Stewart and Ian Dury; the politician Michael Foot; and the fashion designer Vivienne Westwood with her son Joseph Corré.^[1]

References

1. "Laurie Lewis (1944-), Photographer". National Portrait Gallery. Archived from the original on 15 June 2024. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
2. Ashon, Will (6 June 2017). "Please keep the flames to six feet! The wild and wonderful world of Walthamstow art school". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
3. Lewis, Laurie (28 November 2023). "Michael Spry obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
4. "Bloodthirsty triumph over evil". The Independent. 29 June 1988. p. 13. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
5. "A bat slow to take flight". The Independent. 11 January 1989. p. 17. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
6. Norton, Yates (3 February 2011). "A portrait of the artist as a photographer". Varsity. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
7. "Gandolfi - Family Business - Production Team". Gandolfi Film website. Archived from the original on 23 May 2004. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
8. Davison, Phil (2 September 2014). "Ken Griffiths obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 June 2024.