Chic Hammersmith Odeon, London, 1979.

'Hidden from the audience, but close enough to hear band members exchanging private jokes, we could tell whether the musicians were merely going through the motions or actually enjoying themselves. Many of the bands played up to the camera without it affecting their rapport with the audience.'Jill Furmanovsky

About the Exhibition

  • Manchester Central Library : St Peters Square, City Centre, Manchester, M2 5PD
  • 15th April – 24 June 2023  : Mon – Thurs, 9am – 8pm: Fri – Sat, 9am – 5pm
  • Admission Free.  (go here for details on travelling to venue)

I cherish working with musicians, but it was photography that captured my heart first.” Jill Furmanovsky

Photographing the Invisible is the first ever exhibition of a life’s work by renowned music photographer Jill Furmanovsky. Guest curated by Noel Gallagher and photo-historian Gail Buckland, the show, which is presented by Rockarchve.com features over 100 images including subjects such as Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Miles Davis, The Police, Bob Marley, Chic, The Rolling Stones, The Clash, The Cure, Amy Winehouse, The Pretenders, Beyonce, to name just a few.  Throughout the exhibition, visitors will be drawn into Jill’s unique relationship with her subjects and the emotive quality of her work. Jill will be talking about her work in two talks in Manchester featuring special guests – details below.

Charlie Watts|Halcyon Hotel, London, 1991

Highlights include ‘meditations from the pit’ that capture the sheer joy and exuberance of live photography, intimate on-the-road shoots carried out for the music press of the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s and fashion-inspired portraiture from The Face era.

There are sensitive images of reclusive subjects such as Jeff Buckley, Eric Clapton and Bob Dylan, as well as open-armed collaborations with Chrissie Hynde, Madness, and her greatest muse, Oasis, for whom Jill has included some previously unseen images of the group.

David Gilmour, Pink Floyd|Abbey Road Studios, 1975

Leonard Cohen|Montcalm Hotel, London, 1979

Oasis|Maine Road, Manchester, 1996

It is this mutual respect between Jill and artists that has made her one of the most celebrated photographers of her time. Bringing the stories behind the imagery closer, an audio guide to some of the imagery will be available for visitors to access through their own headphones narrated by Jill, Noel Gallagher and Chrissie Hynde.

The Cramps|1981

Eric Clapton|The Rainbow Theatre, 1981

Pink Floyd|Nassau Stadium, USA, 1980

Contemporary content includes photographs taken in her year as Abbey Road’s artist-in-residence in 2017 and shots from the Glastonbury Festival featuring Stormzy and Billie Eilish.

The first stop in an international tour, Jill is delighted that the exhibition is launching in Manchester – a city which holds a special place in her own history due to the many local bands she has covered over her career, not only Oasis, but Buzzcocks, Joy Division, The Fall, and The Smiths. Jill will be hosting two events with special guests Jon Savage from the British Pop Archive and Head of Music and long-time producer of Later… with Jools Holland, Mark Cooper in May. Go here for more information and to book a ticket.

Billie Eilish|Glastonbury Festival, 2019

We would like to thank the sponsors of the exhibition which include MPB Europe Ltd – the largest global platform to buy, sell and trade used photo and video kit; Hipgnosis Song Management Ltd; Yvonne Gordon and BIMM Institute Manchester.

For press enquiries please contact info@jillfurmanovsky.com or Jacqueline Meenan or Zahra Iqbal at pressoffice@manchester.gov.uk. For general enquiries contact info@rockarchive.com.