Linda McCartney's Phtographs

Dr K and Not- Kathy came with TBG and me to the Center for Creative Photography's Linda McCartney Retrospective this afternoon.

Thanks to their brilliant parking directions, we ended up right by the steps down to the undulating ramp  beneath Speedway (which is as busy a street as its name implies) which deposited us at the entry to the U of A's repository of all things photographic.  The exhibition space began with the donation by Ansel Adams of his own collection of his works, a sneaky deal with the legislature securing the $300,000 needed to create the building, and all of a sudden Tucson was the place to be if you were looking for a venue to venerate your work.

This summer's exhibit is curated by her family, and the hagiographic accompanying notes are proof of that.  The notes further annoyed by identifying and contextualizing Simon and Garfunkel, Jimi Hendrix, Judy Collins, Eric Clapton and Cream. Icons of my youth are now history.  I'm not sure how I feel about that.

He portraits of rock stars are evidence of the access she had -  as an office assistant at Town and Country, she grabbed an unwanted invitation to a cruise on the Hudson with the Rolling Stones, took some photos and sold them that afternoon.  She captures relaxed moments, up close and personal, some revelatory, some blank.  TBG thought Yoko Ono was concealed.  We all noticed that John Lennon never smiled.  We laughed at the candid of their young son balancing a tube of breadsticks on his upper lip while sitting alone at an elegantly set table.

Some of them stuck with me.  The pictures Paul took of her spoke to me just a little bit more.  The collection was collated by Linda's family; I'm  enjoying thinking that they saw her in these photos they've shared. 

I liked the history lesson. But as far as the actual photography goes, I think Little Cuter is better.