More exhibitions of Andy Summers photography have been announced for London, Denmark, Montreal and New York. For more information see below.

"In a minute, I'll put down the guitar and pick up a camera. Sting and Stewart are already out there somewhere. I can hear Stewart whacking away at his banjo. My cameras are in that black bag down there...two Nikon FEs and three lenses with 20 rolls of Tri-X. Music - photography? The path through the centre of this experience? Another way of dreaming through the electric bubble of fame - the moth's wing that flames out leaving only the trace of notes, chords, rhythms. Paint with light - trap it in a cluster of silver halide and put it away in a drawer. I stick the end of my guitar out above the crowd and shoot." - Andy Summers

I'll Be Watching You: Inside The Police 1980-1983 - A photographic exhibition by Andy Summers

LONDON

29 August-8 September 2007 Admission free / Open Monday-Friday 10am-6pm
(Thursdays until 8pm), Saturday 11am-5pm / Closed Sundays

Jill George Gallery,
38 Lexington St, Soho,
London

www.jillgeorgegallery.co.uk.

DENMARK

September 1 - October 21st

Gjethuset
Gjethusgade 5
3300 Frederiksværk
Denmark
Ph. 4777-0607

http://gjethus.dk also see http://www.fotolinien.dk/

MONTREAL

November 8-25

MX Gallery
333 Viger West Avenue
Montréal, Québec, H2Z 0A1
Ph. 514.315.8900

http://galeriemx.com.

NEW YORK

October 24 - November 2

Milk Gallery
450 W 15th St
New York, NY 10011
Ph. 212.645.2797

http://www.milkstudios.com.

In the early 1980s, The Police went on tour accompanied by a photographer who documented the band behind the scenes in a series of candid and striking black and white photos. This talented photographer also happened to be the band's guitarist, Andy Summers. Yes, it's true - the man responsible for the guitar lick from 'Every Breath You Take' was not only the backbone of one of the most popular bands of all time, he also possessed a visual gift for composition and mood that allowed him to capture the spirit of The Police better than anyone else could have.

Now in the midst of the frenzy accompanying the band's reemergence, Andy Summers heralds his return with a biathlon of photographic output: an exclusive photographic exhibition in four cities produced on the HP digital technology, and a book published by Taschen. The gallery shows, presented in conjunction with Rockarchive.com, began in June and has opened with great success in Las Vegas, L.A, Boston, Miami and now comes to London.

A heady mix of shooting from the hip and street photography, the exhibition follows The Police around the globe between 1980 and 1983. From the American West to Australia to Japan, Summers recorded not only the band members rehearsing and partying - the proverbial sex, drugs, and rock and roll - he also photographed fans, landscapes, still life's, and passersby in a reportage style reminiscent of Henri Cartier-Bresson and Robert Frank.

Containing 38 exclusive, limited edition, hand signed prints and filled with diary-style entries, I'll Be Watching You is a sumptuous volume beating with musical energy, nostalgia, and atmospheric beauty. Each of the striking black and white photos featured in the exhibit was produced with the new HP Designjet Z3100 Photo Printer series, using HP Vivera pigment inks on HP Professional Satin Photo Paper, resulting in vivid, museum-quality prints with outstanding longevity. A must for photo buffs and Police fans alike.

The books and the exhibition are as much a diary of a deeply personal journey as they are a documentary of a rock and roll band shot from the inside out. Summers solo music, which has always been searching and synergistic in expression, finds a parallel in his photography. The exhibition and the book are a piercing glimpse of every breath of the band inside and outside the fishbowl by a mature artist who is clearly destined to be a significant figure in contemporary photography.

The photographic exhibition continues it's world tour at Jill George Gallery, 38 Lexington St, Soho, London. The exhibit runs from 29th August - 8th Sept 2007 with an invitation only reception for the artist on 6th September, before The Police are due to play Twickenham stadium.

Andy Summers
In the mid eighties, The Police ruled rock, arguably the most popular band in the world. Thirty years after their founding, twenty five since they disbanded, fans have waited breathlessly for their return. The wait is over. The Police have embarked on a historic reunion tour. But in the quarter of a century without The Police, Sting, Andy Summers, and Stuart Copeland have hardly been idle, each pursuing solo careers. For Andy Summers, there was not only the precise guitar attacks that created his signature dense, interlocking waves of sound and effects, the jazz albums, and movie soundtracks, Andy's keen ear rivaled his sharp eye with a parallel career as a world-class photographer.

Now a resident in Santa Monica, California, Summers, 64, continues to shoot with his Leica. He sees his work as being in the tradition of the great photojournalists and as a complement to his successful and acclaimed solo career with contemporary instrumental music that, like his work with Sting and Stewart Copeland, draws on his love of jazz, world, classical music, and his fascination with creating sonic textures. His post-Police years have produced more than two dozen solo albums, soundtracks, and collaborations, plus hundreds of international concerts, and induction to both the Guitar Player Hall of Fame and the Rock and RollHall of Fame. Summer's parallel passion for photography has led him to document subjects ranging from rural communities throughout Southeast Asia to timeless noir-style street scenes in cities around the world. His photographs have been shown in galleries in New York, LosAngeles, Tokyo, Amsterdam, Paris and London, and his books includeThrob (1983), the Ralph Gibson collaboration Light Strings: Impressions ofthe Guitar (2004), and the memoir One Train Later (2006).

History of Rockarchive.com
When she founded Rockarchive in 1998, photographer Jill Furmanovsky had in mind the wealth of rock and roll material lying largely hidden in her own vast archive, as well as in the archives of her fellow photographers of the genre. She saw this as a great opportunity to unearth a fascinating and hitherto unseen rock and roll history.

In the footsteps of collectives like Magnum, Rockarchive is run very much on behalf of its photographers. Its philosophy is to accord dignity and recognition to the art of photography and maintain the rights of its practitioners. But the long-term aims are wider: to promote lesser known work by high profile photographers as well as the work of up and coming photographers, to provide a valuable historical resource, to offer news on exhibitions and events and to provide links to other pertinent websites.

The Rockarchive continues going from strength to strength, with international gallery spaces in the UK, Ireland and Holland. The latest gallery to launch is on the world famous Kings Road in Chelsea, UK and offers exclusive 'Artist Proof' and 'End of Edition' images.

Jill George Gallery
The Gallery was established within the heart of London 's West End in 1974 and moved to its present location in Soho's Lexington Street in 1987, changing the name to Jill George Gallery in 1991. The Gallery represents paintings, drawings, watercolours, monoprints and limited edition prints by British Contemporary artists from the established artist to the recent graduate. Andy Summers and Jill George have known each other for over twenty years and the Gallery is delighted to have this opportunity of showing his work.

www.andysummers.com.

Other Recent items