Johnny Thornton catalogue

“I have never considered being a photographer is a job, that’s why I can happily say that I have never had a job.”

~ Johnny Thornton

exhibition

CATALOGUE

1 “300 VOYEURS” circa 1977 C Type on Fuji Crystal Archive Paper Chromaluxe -­‐ As Exhibited -­‐ Unsigned -­‐ £1,600 Estate Stamped -­‐ Limited EdiPon 75x100cm -­‐ EdiPon 15 -­‐ £1,500 45x60cm -­‐ EdiPon 25 -­‐ £1,200

In the 1970’s I asked to do a photographic demonstraPon in Barcelona. I was presented with the ballroom of The Ritz Hotel and decided I would shoot the audience as voyeurs. Firstly Derrie Powell, the model I brought from London, walked along the balcony overlooking the ballroom with her dressed only in a flowing black velvet cape, high shoes and gold mask. Turning her back to the audience she dropped the cape and lay down out of view of the audience. Off the linked Nikons went shooPng one roll of film in each camera. Numerous people came up and kissed my hand saying “Another surrealist is born, just like Dali”. The Ritz ballroom had been the venue for Dali’s parPes where they fought to carry him out comatose several years later he abended my exhibiPon in Cadaques near his house in Port Lligat commenPng “Magnifico….FantasPco”

2 “GIVE A DOG A BONE” circa 1974 C Type on Fuji Crystal Archive Paper Signed Original 70x100cm -­‐ as Exhibited -­‐ POA Estate Stamped -­‐ Limited EdiPon 70x100cm -­‐ EdiPon 15 -­‐ £750 40x60cm -­‐ EdiPon 25 -­‐ £350 30x40cm -­‐ EdiPon 50 -­‐ £200

Another image from my “Stuffed Animal” period. The dog came from the Camden Town based taxidermist Edward Gerrard & Sons. I loved the fierce animal of nightmares. The leash was made of display lights and Tommy produced the outline with torch in a black studio aher shooPng on electronic flash. It was in these days of crah that I ohen came up with ideas and then had to work out a way to produce the image.

3 “HAVING A SWIM” Circa 1976 C Type on Fuji Crystal Archive Paper Signed Original 70x100cm -­‐ as Exhibited -­‐ POA Estate Stamped -­‐ Limited EdiPon 70x100cm -­‐ EdiPon 15 -­‐ £750 40X60cm -­‐ EdiPon 25 -­‐ £350 26X40cm -­‐ EdiPon 50 -­‐ £200

This image was shot at Snr Alphonso Libano’s beach villa in Menorca; the idea of a girl with jewellery in a Titanic life ring is self-­‐explanatory. This was seen by Smirnoff and I returned to Menorca to shoot it again this Pme with her holding a cocktail. When this was turned into a 48 sheet poster it received loads of publicity most of it saying it was in terribly bad taste. But as they say “Any publicity is good publicity”

4 “O.H.M.S” Circa 1973 C Type on Fuji Crystal Archive Paper Original 50x90cm -­‐ Unsigned Framed as Exhibited -­‐ £900 Estate Stamped -­‐ Limited EdiPon 50x90cm -­‐ EdiPon 15 -­‐ £650 40X60cm -­‐ EdiPon 25 -­‐ £350 26X40cm -­‐ EdiPon 50 -­‐ £200

This actual envelope contained my very first leber from the tax man. As I had said before I was very taken by the images of Guy Bourdin and this came from his inspiraPon. The meaning is very simple, to check the age of this photograph note there is no postcode.

5 “ABOUT FACE” Circa 1997

C Type on Fuji Crystal Archive Paper Signed Original 45x30 cm -­‐ as Exhibited -­‐ POA Estate Stamped -­‐ Limited EdiPon 60x40cm -­‐ EdiPon 25 -­‐ £900 40x30cm -­‐ EdiPon 50 -­‐ £500 30x20cm -­‐ EdiPon 100 -­‐ £300

I did my original drawing many years before (I do drawings of my images before I do them this way I don’t have to remember the idea). I started thinking about the military command of turning about face and things started to happen. As I have said “The greatest thing an arPst can do is inspire others” and I hope that my photograph goes on to inspire others. You may very well ask “How did I do it”. That is not important, the important thing is that I did do it and for me Man Ray sums it up in this quote “Some of the most complete and saPsfying works of art have been produced when their authors had no idea of creaPng a work of art, but were concerned with the expression of an idea”.

6 “FLOATING” Circa 1976 C Type on Fuji Crystal Archive Paper Signed Original 60x40cm -­‐ as Exhibited -­‐ POA Estate Stamped -­‐ Limited EdiPon 60x40cm -­‐ EdiPon 25 -­‐ £350 40x30cm -­‐ EdiPon 50 -­‐ £200 30x20cm -­‐ EdiPon 100 -­‐ £150

I was given a grant by The Polaroid CorporaPon to produce some images using their early cameras. I gained my influence from the painPngs by Paul Delvaux, Magribe and the Los Angeles pool paints by David Hockney. As I say, “I don’t take photographs, I make photographs” so the wall was constructed over a swimming pool in a naturist indoor pool in Wrotham Heath in Kent. Then a scaffold was built to span the pool and wall which would support me so I was uncomfortably posiPoned shooPng straight down had the flash lighPng fallen into the pool the model Nicky Howath Dwek would be “Brown Bread”

7 “LOVE IN THE HOUSE OF THE NOBLEMAN” Circa 2013 Hand Made Carbro Print by Gerard Aniere Original -­‐ as Exhibited -­‐ POA Estate Stamped -­‐ Limited EdiPon (C Type on Fuji Crystal Archive Paper) 80x100cm -­‐ EdiPon 15 -­‐ £1,500 40x50cm -­‐ EdiPon 25 -­‐ £900

“When I shoot it is first construcPon, then producPon, aher a pre producPon with a crew at my side. My aim is to make the image with just the model and myself separated only by the glass of the lens that fuses our thoughts together to produce the image” ~ Johnny Thornton.

8 “MARIGOLDS” Circa 1984 C Type on Fuji Crystal Archive Paper Signed Original 21x16cm -­‐ as Exhibited -­‐ POA Estate Stamped -­‐ Limited EdiPon 60x40cm -­‐ EdiPon 25 -­‐ £350 40x26cm -­‐ EdiPon 50 -­‐ £200 30x20cm -­‐ EdiPon 100 -­‐ £150

Originally a 6cm x 7cm sandwiched Tranny. This image I shot back in 1984 and then in 2012 lacking a bag to hold a 6cm x 7cm transparency I put two in the same bag and this image appeared, the model was Susie Ann Watkins.

9 “DALIS LIPS” Circa 1990 C Type on Fuji Crystal Archive Paper Original 50x50cm -­‐ Unsigned Framed as Exhibited -­‐ £450 Estate Stamped -­‐ Limited EdiPon Available from www.OnGallery.com

I had seen a copy of the Mae West Lips Sofa, designed by Dali and commissioned by Edward James who was a passionate and early supporter of surrealism and provided pracPcal support to Dali for about two years. The image depicts my love of my then girlfriend Alex, who was to become my wife. However it tells its own story with the red leber by a heart and a picture frame with a ripped photograph. I have always said “If you can make people stop and wonder what is going on then the image gains anther dimension”

10 “A GIRL’S FAVOURITE THING ON FIRE” Circa 2013 C Type on Fuji Crystal Archive Paper 45x45cm -­‐ Estate Stamped and Framed -­‐ £450 Estate Stamped -­‐ Limited EdiPon 90x90cm -­‐ EdiPon 15 -­‐ £650 45x45cm -­‐ EdiPon 25 -­‐ £350 30x30cm -­‐ EdiPon 50 -­‐ £200

“I don’t care if you think that I am abnormal, strange, weird, crazy. Odd and bizarre; Life is too short to be normal” ~ Johnny Thornton.

11 “BE BOP DELUXE” Circa 1975 45x45cm -­‐ Estate Stamped and Framed -­‐ £450 Estate Stamped -­‐ Limited EdiPon 90x90cm -­‐ EdiPon 15 -­‐ £650 45x45cm -­‐ EdiPon 25 -­‐ £350 30x30cm -­‐ EdiPon 50 -­‐ £200

I was commissioned to shoot a cover for the band Be Bop Deluxe. I can’t remember what guitar it was that I burnt I trust it was not valuable. It did go up nicely when it was prepared by my special effects guys.

C Type on Fuji Crystal Archive Paper

12 “CONCH SHELL” Circa 1994

C Type on Fuji Crystal Archive Paper 40x50cm -­‐ Estate Stamped and Framed -­‐ £450 Estate Stamped -­‐ Limited EdiPon 80x90cm -­‐ EdiPon 25 -­‐ £650 40x50cm -­‐ EdiPon 50 -­‐ £350 20x30cm -­‐ EdiPon 100 -­‐ £200

I had been on holiday to Jamaica many years before and saw these female dancers with beads of sweat on their bodies when they danced. As I have said before I was inspired by the French photographer Guy Bourdin. His photograph “The Female Object” gave me the inspiraPon to use a couch shell. Many arPsts have been inspired by other arPsts. This is way of making things that are creaPve and as I have said “To inspire others is the greatest thing and arPst can do”

13 “FILM CAN HAT” Circa 1995 C Type on Fuji Crystal Archive Paper 30x45cm -­‐ Estate Stamped and Framed -­‐ £450 Estate Stamped -­‐ Limited EdiPon Available from www.OnGallery.com

Shot in Tom Lowrey’s studio behind the Woodman Pub in Babersea. I asked an old mate in films, Eddie French, for a couple of film cans and some lengths of 35mm film. The idea was to marry film and sPll photography. We made the film can into a hat and used fishing line to ‘float’ the 35mm film before we lit the shot with a David Cecil “Fish Fryer” strobe light made locally in Turnmill street by the famous lighPng engineers David Cecil and John Leach.

14 “NIFTY FIFTY” Circa 2013 C Type on Fuji Crystal Archive Paper 45x45cm -­‐ Estate Stamped and Framed -­‐ £450 Estate Stamped -­‐ Limited EdiPon 90x90cm -­‐ EdiPon 15 -­‐ £650 45x45cm -­‐ EdiPon 25 -­‐ £350 30x30cm -­‐ EdiPon 50 -­‐ £200

“In life the things that you can’t change are in the past so look to the future” ~ Johnny Thornton.

15 “A BIRD IN THE HAND IS WORTH TWO IN THE BUSH” Circa 1973 C Type on Fuji Crystal Archive Paper 30x50cm -­‐ Estate Stamped and Framed -­‐ £450 Estate Stamped -­‐ Limited EdiPon 30x50cm -­‐ EdiPon 25 -­‐ £350 20x35cm -­‐ EdiPon 50 -­‐ £200

The general meaning as we know it is a proverb meaning that its beber to have some thing that is certain than take a risk to get more, where you might lose everything. However this proverb was used in 1670 or even earlier, where it referred back to medieval falconry where a bird in the hand (the falcon) was a valuable asset and certainly worth more than two in the bush (the prey) Originally I thought about the first proverb, then I found out about the second proverb and illustrated it in my own surreal way.

16 “TELEPHONE INTERRUPTUS” Circa 1975 C Type on Fuji Crystal Archive Paper 40x60cm -­‐ Estate Stamped and Framed -­‐ £450 Estate Stamped -­‐ Limited EdiPon 40x60cm -­‐ EdiPon 25 -­‐ £350 30x40cm -­‐ EdiPon 50 -­‐ £200 20x30cm -­‐ EdiPon 100 -­‐ £100

The model is Madeline Backlund. The image concept stemmed from the scissors that where in the studio from a previous adverPsing shoot. The phone call, the curng off of the call and the phrase “Coitus Interruptus” all came together in my mind.

17 “SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES” Circa 1972 C Type on Fuji Crystal Archive Paper 40x60cm -­‐ Estate Stamped and Framed -­‐ £450 Estate Stamped -­‐ Limited EdiPon 40x60cm -­‐ EdiPon 25 -­‐ £350 30x40cm -­‐ EdiPon 50 -­‐ £200 20x30cm -­‐ EdiPon 100 -­‐ £100

The model was Annabel Hoiden who went on to become a celebrity stylist. once again I saw a live person in the picture frame not a new idea but I thought I would add the man with the smoke and then came the Ptle “Smoke gets in your eyes”.

18 “EVERY CLOUD HAS A SILVER LINING” Circa 1983 C Type on Fuji Crystal Archive Paper 60x40cm -­‐ Estate Stamped and Framed -­‐ £450 Estate Stamped -­‐ Limited EdiPon 60x40cm -­‐ EdiPon 25 -­‐ £350 40x26cm -­‐ EdiPon 50 -­‐ £200 30x20cm -­‐ EdiPon 100 -­‐ £100

This was another image I shot when I went to Namibia. By chance I came across this road in The Karoo in South Africa.

I had made the cloud before and wanted to illustrate the saying which for those that don’t know means “you can derive at least some benefit from every bad thing that happenes to you”. I also like QuenPn Crisp’s quote “If at first you don't succeed, failure may be your style”.

19 “CAPTIVE IN THE NAMIB DESERT” Circa 1983 C Type on Fuji Crystal Archive Paper 60x40cm -­‐ Estate Stamped and Framed -­‐ £450 Estate Stamped -­‐ Limited EdiPon 60x40cm -­‐ EdiPon 25 -­‐ £350 40x26cm -­‐ EdiPon 50 -­‐ £200 30x20cm -­‐ EdiPon 100 -­‐ £100

Having hitched hiked in the 1960’s into South West Africa which is now Namibia (There is a b & w print of me sirng on the wreck of a plane in The Namib Dessert) I was so impressed by the graphic dunes of the dessert and decided to go back with Amanda Adey, Alex Argent (who would become my wife) and my right hand man Tommy Lowrey. I wanted to photograph restricPon in the oldest dessert in the world

20 “THUMBS UP, CHOCKS AWAY” Circa 1983 C Type on Fuji Crystal Archive Paper 60x40cm -­‐ Estate Stamped and Framed -­‐ £450 Estate Stamped -­‐ Limited EdiPon 60x40cm -­‐ EdiPon 25 -­‐ £350 40x26cm -­‐ EdiPon 50 -­‐ £200 30x20cm -­‐ EdiPon 100 -­‐ £100

This is another image that I shot in Namibia. The model is Alex was to become my wife, then my ex wife. We went to a night club in Windhoek and Alex slipped from her high heels dislocaPng her thumb, the only hospital we could find was a “Blacks Only” hospital and they refused to treat her as it was the days of apartheid. The following day she had her thumb put back at a “White” hospital with her hand bandaged I could only use one hand and then the Ptle came based on her dislocated thumb and the World War 11 saying, “Thumbs Up….Chocks Away” so why a plane with vapour trail in the desert, I am not sure maybe it was the heat!

21 “MOON ROCK NAMIBIA” Circa 1983 C Type on Fuji Crystal Archive Paper 60x40cm -­‐ Estate Stamped and Framed -­‐ £450 Estate Stamped -­‐ Limited EdiPon 60x40cm -­‐ EdiPon 25 -­‐ £350 40x26cm -­‐ EdiPon 50 -­‐ £200 30x20cm -­‐ EdiPon 100 -­‐ £100

Having hitch hiked into South West Africa which is now Namibia in the 1960’s I fell in love with the graphic landscape of the country. I now returned with Alex, Amanda and Tommy some twenty years later in two camper vans, which in themselves made great stories. One that comes to mind, is of Alex almost rolling one of them somewhere in the Namib dessert. With the vast landscape I decided to put Amanda in a nerng tube I had to wait for the single cloud as that balances the image.

22 “WHITE TRASH” Circa 1982 C Type on Fuji Crystal Archive Paper 60x40cm -­‐ Estate Stamped and Framed -­‐ £450 Estate Stamped -­‐ Limited EdiPon 60x40cm -­‐ EdiPon 25 -­‐ £350 40x26cm -­‐ EdiPon 50 -­‐ £200 30x20cm -­‐ EdiPon 100 -­‐ £100

This photograph of Alex was shot in the boardroom of an adverPsing agency who I worked for in King Street, Covent Garden. The building was a private house built in the early 1700’s and is close to what is now the Apple shop. I thought that a rubbish bin with a girl looking into it with light coming out would make a great image. Many people have said why did you call it “White Trash”? Well the real meaning of “White Trash” is poor white people, so here is a girl who is not poor in luxurious surrounding with a chandelier, a complete juxtaposiPon.

23 “GIRL IN BIRD CAGE WITH MY PLASTIC FANTASTIC” Circa 1994 C Type on Fuji Crystal Archive Paper 30x45cm -­‐ Estate Stamped and Framed -­‐ £450 Estate Stamped -­‐ Limited EdiPon 60x90cm -­‐ EdiPon 15 -­‐ £650 30x45cm -­‐ EdiPon 25 -­‐ £350

“Salvador Dali said of my images “FantasPco……… “Magnifico” and we all know he knows nothing about art” ~ Johnny Thornton.

24 “DOLL WITH MY PLASTIC FANTASTIC” Circa 1994 C Type on Fuji Crystal Archive Paper 30x45cm -­‐ Estate Stamped and Framed -­‐ £450 Estate Stamped -­‐ Limited EdiPon 60x90cm -­‐ EdiPon 15 -­‐ £650 30x45cm -­‐ EdiPon 25 -­‐ £350

“If you don’t have a mountain to climb you will be going downhill all the Pme, but “Why” ? said the ant to the bee, “because the view from the top is so much beber” (Wriben in The Mulberry Mental Ward Chelsea & Westminster Hospital 1994) ~ Johnny Thornton.

25 “HOMAGE TO MAGRITTE” Circa 1974 C Type on Fuji Crystal Archive Paper 60x40cm -­‐ Estate Stamped and Framed -­‐ £450 Estate Stamped -­‐ Limited EdiPon 60x40cm -­‐ EdiPon 25 -­‐ £350 40x26cm -­‐ EdiPon 50 -­‐ £200 30x20cm -­‐ EdiPon 100 -­‐ £100

“I don’t care for the technical part of photography frankly it bores me I am only interested in the image” ~ Johnny Thornton.

26 “BOXED IN” Circa 1974

C Type on Fuji Crystal Archive Paper Signed Original 60x40cm -­‐ as Exhibited – POA Estate Stamped -­‐ Limited EdiPon Prints 60x40cm -­‐ EdiPon 25 -­‐ £350 40x26cm -­‐ EdiPon 50 -­‐ £200 30x20cm -­‐ EdiPon 100 -­‐ £100

I was ohen inspired by Guy Bourdin and the photographs that he produced for Charles Jourdan. I took this image using shoes from Terry de Havilland “the rock’n’roll cobbler” who in the 1970’s had a shop in The Kings Road called “Cobblers to the World” Bianca Jagger, Cher, Bebe Midler and Anita Pallenberg where flaunPng his designs at the Pme.

27 “SHELLEY WITH WATER, UMBRELLA AND COLOUR BARS” Circa 1980

C Type on Fuji Crystal Archive Paper Signed Original 60x45cm -­‐ as Exhibited – POA Estate Stamped -­‐ Limited EdiPon Prints 60x45cm -­‐ EdiPon 25 -­‐ £350 40x30cm -­‐ EdiPon 50 -­‐ £200 30x20cm -­‐ EdiPon 100 -­‐ £100

This was shot using a Polaroid 10x8, a medium which I was the first to use in the UK courtesy of a generous grant that came from Polaroid via Elko Wolf, the American Indian number two at Polaroid. I shot it on a Polaroid camera and then for my show at Reading Room in Soho we needed prints so we copied it to a transparency by re-­‐photographing the original. When I was checking the prinPng the shot appeared with the colour bars on either side for registraPon. I decided against curng them off because I loved the effect. The model was Shelley Stevens, hence the Ptle created itself.

For enquiries please contact Fiona De Rose Telephone: 07935 740 323 Email: fionaderose@nitratexposed.com

The Exhibitionist Hotel 8-10 Queensberry Place SW7 2EA Art exhibitions curated by ATTOLLO

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