OK, you might not immediately recognise Ian Tilton’s name but you will most certainly know his iconic and stunning photographic images. Ian has been taking photos of bands for over 30 years and his acclaimed work includes The Smiths, Stones Roses, Guns N’ Roses, Oasis and the moving image of Kurt Cobain, recently hailed by Q Magazine as one of the best rock photographs of all time.
Ian comprehensively documented the Hacienda, the rise of the ‘Madchester’ scene and had a close relationship with The Stone Roses. He knew the band before they were famous and shot every key moment during the band’s meteoric rise to fame in the late Eighties, capturing more iconic images of the band than any other photographer. He photographed their first TV appearance, the three famous early gigs at Blackpool Tower, Glasgow Green and Spike Island, and his photos appeared on their classic first album. He was the first photographer to do a Jackson Pollock shoot with the band, and is also the man who first got Ian Brown to pull his famous monkey face. His new book ‘Set in Stone’, co-authored with Claire Cauldwell, documents the Roses through an incredible period of socio-cultural and musical history.
He has exhibited widely and his commissions include Sounds, Select, Melody Maker, Mojo, Q and many record companies and bands. He is an acclaimed theatre photographer and also works in the fields of disability and mental health as a qualified counsellor.
Ian’s story is utterly unique and quite amazing, so we were truly delighted to welcome him for a Chinwag at the start of his photographic exhibition at Outlaws Yacht Club, which ran through December 2013 and January 2014
