Sunday 11 October 2009

The Man Who Turned Down The Beatles

This coming Sunday the LIP 21st Annual Exhibition opens with its Private View. It then runs from the 19th until the 31st. See here. All well and good...

Except, of course in my normal status of being "the only one in step", I've never been much of a fan. I don't like many of the images. In the early days when my wife and I went to the Private View we would observe a hundred or so aficiandos chatting away to each other largely ignoring the prints themselves.

Nonetheless some people find merit in this exhibition. Occasionally I too find images I like.

I had low expectations of this year's event, before I was told some astounding news.

It is that Quentin Ball, who is one of the finest photographers I know, who has had solo exhibitions in London in the past year which I have actually attended, has not had any photos selected for the exhibition.

Now let's be fair. I'm going to reserve final judgement until I see the show for myself. However in order for me to predict an outcome, I have to put a peg in the ground.

This is it. How do you turn down a highlight like QB?

Dick Rowe is (in)famous for being the man who turned down The Beatles, with the statement: "Guitar groups are on their way out, Mr. Epstein".

Oh dear - I get the feeling that history is about to repeat itself.

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