https://www.rollingstone.co.uk/music/ne ... -75-36390/
Acclaimed music photographer Brian Griffin has died at the age of 75
Griffin's acclaimed cover for Depeche Mode's A Broken Flame was hailed as one of the defining shots of the 1980s.
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Other work included his iconic portraits of The Jam and Elvis Costello and album covers by the likes of Joe Jackson and Siouxsie & The Banshees.
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Photographer Brian Griffin RIP
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sweetest punch
- Posts: 5986
- Joined: Sat Apr 03, 2004 5:49 am
- Location: Belgium
Photographer Brian Griffin RIP
Since you put me down, it seems i've been very gloomy. You may laugh but pretty girls look right through me.
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sweetest punch
- Posts: 5986
- Joined: Sat Apr 03, 2004 5:49 am
- Location: Belgium
Re: Photographer Brian Griffin RIP
Since you put me down, it seems i've been very gloomy. You may laugh but pretty girls look right through me.
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sweetest punch
- Posts: 5986
- Joined: Sat Apr 03, 2004 5:49 am
- Location: Belgium
Re: Photographer Brian Griffin RIP
Steve Nieve writes about Brian Griffin: https://www.facebook.com/721647778/post ... l/?app=fbl
I must have first met Brian Griffin in the early 1980’s, we quickly developed a strong bond, I would many times make the trip to Rotherhithe just to hang out with him, his photographic studio was next door to Barney Bubbles studio. There was even a boat you could take along the Thames to go visit. Brian took photographs for my first two solo albums, Keyboard Jungle, and Playboy, elaborate portraits, somehow he managed to turn me into a Bryan Ferry type. The ray of light under my fingers for Keyboard Jungle sleeve was not caught by chance, an elaborate combination of elastic and lighting and patience. He had a tear drop produced in silicone sitting on one of my palms. Entirely Brian’s invention. So when he said to me, “get the teardrop embossed”, I was willing to endure the wrath of Jake Riviera, who wasn’t convinced this added expense was necessary. Still I persevered and the first print run of the record had this detail. I loved Brian’s streak of craziness. One time he was receiving an award, at the Albert Hall. So he had himself dressed in an Albert Hall costume, hiding him completely, he arrived with it on stage, the roof came off and his hand reached out, he took his award and pulled it inside his own Albert Hall.
Brian was a master of photography, no doubt about that, he was a real genius, and there are not too many of them. Brian possessed a particular and beautiful way to speak about any subject or object, he truely saw things differently, and was a master of capturing this so perfectly in his photography. But also a master of discussion. In a way, each frame of Brian represents a deeper thought and everyone who knew the man had to recognize that this was no ordinary mind. B.G. will always remain one of my best loved companions, even though living in different lands made our encounters scarcer, he was often in France and our paths continued to cross. Brian was, at the same time, a very down to earth person, enjoying the occasional pint at the pub, mostly I believe because of the social encounters it provided him with. While many of us remember him for his record sleeve photography, a lot of his work was focused on everyday people, working class people, he was very much a man of the Midlands. Brian was also an avid musical listener, and enjoyed a wide spectrum of music. He loved to introduce music to his friends and collaborators. There was always music playing in his photographic studio, and always something out of the ordinary. In all these ways he was a unique, interesting human, extremely intelligent and kind, and one I will miss enormously. It’s not easy to put into words his very special qualities, perhaps that is the mark of true genius. His voice had a music to it, like another genius friend of ours Alain Toussaint, you could listen to them talk for hours, about anything really because the way they spoke about things calmly, full of light, revelation and pure excitement. Brian’s output has been prolific. Last time I saw Brian he was in Paris and came to our apartment for a glass, and we both had actually stopped with alcohol, so we were both drinking water, sparkling water. And, I was about to go to Iceland, and Brian was describing some of the magnificent sights I would get to see, the places I should head towards. And he’s emphasizing that this really would be like visiting an incredible alien planet. Maybe little over a year ago, he seemed so strong and well, I cannot understand that he is no longer around.
Brian loved performance art, and I started accompanying him at his photographic exhibitions. Eventually I assembled a small group of improvisators, that he christened “The Pink Orchestra”, he had us playing soundscapes, as he projected his photographs, telling stories about them and cleverly weaving a unified plot almost like a play. This evolved around exhibitions of photographs from his book “Work” containing the “Big Tie” sequence, that exemplifies Brian’s masterful vision, if you visit his website you can check this out. It is incredible. Brian auto published many of his books because he wanted control over the quality of the print work. He was meticulous. We performed with Brian at the National Portrait Gallery in London, and other prestigious galleries. Other highlights, a duo performance on the Late Show BBC. And when B.G. was planning the printing of Work, we decided the Attractions would back him, and recorded a live improvised Brian Griffin and the Attractions 10” vinyl which came inside the cover of the first edition book. It was recorded at the Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh, extraordinary vertiginous venue, everyone looking down on you. B.G. and I even performed together at an exhibition in Viggo, in Northern Spain, so we were officially an international touring act.
In 2008 when the opera I composed with Muriel Teodori was released by Deutsch Grammophone, Brian very graciously allowed us to use one of his most beautiful photographs “the worker with the saw” he called it “the Carpenter”, but I note it’s a Stradivarius saw, and once again the perfect B.G. album cover.
I send my condoléances to Brian’s wife
Brynja, to all his family, friends colleagues and loved ones. I will dearly miss you young man.. but your beautiful works and words remain for us all to enjoy, and be inspired by, forever.
https://www.briangriffin.co.uk/film-vid ... ate-show-1.
I must have first met Brian Griffin in the early 1980’s, we quickly developed a strong bond, I would many times make the trip to Rotherhithe just to hang out with him, his photographic studio was next door to Barney Bubbles studio. There was even a boat you could take along the Thames to go visit. Brian took photographs for my first two solo albums, Keyboard Jungle, and Playboy, elaborate portraits, somehow he managed to turn me into a Bryan Ferry type. The ray of light under my fingers for Keyboard Jungle sleeve was not caught by chance, an elaborate combination of elastic and lighting and patience. He had a tear drop produced in silicone sitting on one of my palms. Entirely Brian’s invention. So when he said to me, “get the teardrop embossed”, I was willing to endure the wrath of Jake Riviera, who wasn’t convinced this added expense was necessary. Still I persevered and the first print run of the record had this detail. I loved Brian’s streak of craziness. One time he was receiving an award, at the Albert Hall. So he had himself dressed in an Albert Hall costume, hiding him completely, he arrived with it on stage, the roof came off and his hand reached out, he took his award and pulled it inside his own Albert Hall.
Brian was a master of photography, no doubt about that, he was a real genius, and there are not too many of them. Brian possessed a particular and beautiful way to speak about any subject or object, he truely saw things differently, and was a master of capturing this so perfectly in his photography. But also a master of discussion. In a way, each frame of Brian represents a deeper thought and everyone who knew the man had to recognize that this was no ordinary mind. B.G. will always remain one of my best loved companions, even though living in different lands made our encounters scarcer, he was often in France and our paths continued to cross. Brian was, at the same time, a very down to earth person, enjoying the occasional pint at the pub, mostly I believe because of the social encounters it provided him with. While many of us remember him for his record sleeve photography, a lot of his work was focused on everyday people, working class people, he was very much a man of the Midlands. Brian was also an avid musical listener, and enjoyed a wide spectrum of music. He loved to introduce music to his friends and collaborators. There was always music playing in his photographic studio, and always something out of the ordinary. In all these ways he was a unique, interesting human, extremely intelligent and kind, and one I will miss enormously. It’s not easy to put into words his very special qualities, perhaps that is the mark of true genius. His voice had a music to it, like another genius friend of ours Alain Toussaint, you could listen to them talk for hours, about anything really because the way they spoke about things calmly, full of light, revelation and pure excitement. Brian’s output has been prolific. Last time I saw Brian he was in Paris and came to our apartment for a glass, and we both had actually stopped with alcohol, so we were both drinking water, sparkling water. And, I was about to go to Iceland, and Brian was describing some of the magnificent sights I would get to see, the places I should head towards. And he’s emphasizing that this really would be like visiting an incredible alien planet. Maybe little over a year ago, he seemed so strong and well, I cannot understand that he is no longer around.
Brian loved performance art, and I started accompanying him at his photographic exhibitions. Eventually I assembled a small group of improvisators, that he christened “The Pink Orchestra”, he had us playing soundscapes, as he projected his photographs, telling stories about them and cleverly weaving a unified plot almost like a play. This evolved around exhibitions of photographs from his book “Work” containing the “Big Tie” sequence, that exemplifies Brian’s masterful vision, if you visit his website you can check this out. It is incredible. Brian auto published many of his books because he wanted control over the quality of the print work. He was meticulous. We performed with Brian at the National Portrait Gallery in London, and other prestigious galleries. Other highlights, a duo performance on the Late Show BBC. And when B.G. was planning the printing of Work, we decided the Attractions would back him, and recorded a live improvised Brian Griffin and the Attractions 10” vinyl which came inside the cover of the first edition book. It was recorded at the Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh, extraordinary vertiginous venue, everyone looking down on you. B.G. and I even performed together at an exhibition in Viggo, in Northern Spain, so we were officially an international touring act.
In 2008 when the opera I composed with Muriel Teodori was released by Deutsch Grammophone, Brian very graciously allowed us to use one of his most beautiful photographs “the worker with the saw” he called it “the Carpenter”, but I note it’s a Stradivarius saw, and once again the perfect B.G. album cover.
I send my condoléances to Brian’s wife
Brynja, to all his family, friends colleagues and loved ones. I will dearly miss you young man.. but your beautiful works and words remain for us all to enjoy, and be inspired by, forever.
https://www.briangriffin.co.uk/film-vid ... ate-show-1.
Since you put me down, it seems i've been very gloomy. You may laugh but pretty girls look right through me.
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Harry Worth
- Posts: 106
- Joined: Thu Jun 26, 2008 2:45 pm
- Location: Manchester
Re: Photographer Brian Griffin RIP
That is such a lovely tribute from Steve. I hadn't really been aware of Brian Griffin until a few months ago when I caught this interview https://youtu.be/FKMsrGRl0xw?si=JMtyUKIfn-DlGNVN involving Will Sergeant from Echo and the Bunnymen.