“I have always felt that I have observed life in a different way from others. Music has always been one creative outlet for me, but now I’m happy to add another one too, that being photography.” Julian Lennon
Julian Lennon, the first son of Beatle John Lennon, is set to show his new photography exhibition entitled ‘Whispers - A Julian Lennon Retrospective’, at the Le Stanze della Fotografia, Venice, Italy, this summer.
The exhibition will be open to the public from August 28 to November 24, 2024.
Curated by Lennon and creative associate Sandrina Bonetti Rubelli, the exhibition showcases a body of work that spans Lennon’s artistic journey, from his early days in music, to his move into photography.
Through this retrospective exhibition, visitors will be able to view the evolution of Lennon’s artistic journey, and emancipation from his fathers legacy.
Lennon’s photographic career began in 2010 with the opening of ‘Timeless: The Photography of Julian Lennon’ at New York’s Morrison Hotel Gallery. The photos were divided into two categories: landscapes and portraits, including photographs of celebrity friends such as U2 and actress Kate Hudson.
Lennon said he became serious about his hobby when he spent two weeks on the road with his brother Sean Lennon, as he toured Eastern Europe with his band.
“I surprised him on the road," Lennon says, "I literally turned up at a gig."
Lennon has said in various interviews that he uses a range of cameras including the Sony A7R IV and Leica Q2, the Fujifilm GFX 50S, Leica V-Lux and the M10-R models.
In an interview with Interiors Magazine Lennon said:
“In the past, I shot with a Canon 5D Mark IV. I also take a large amount of photos on my iPhone, if that’s all I have with me at the time.”
Speaking to Rolling Stone in 2010 about the freedom he finds through photography Lennon said:
"My dad wasn’t really a photographer, so it just allows me to breathe a little more. He used to take a couple Polaroid’s, but it wasn’t a potential career. This is my own thing."
Lennon had a strained relationship with his father at times, who divorced his mother Cynthia to be with Yoko Ono, who Lennon was having an affair with.
In an interview with journalist Krishnan Guru-Murthy for Channel 4 in 2022, Lennon explains that his original name when born was John Charles Julian Lennon.
He said: “I was tired of being the second John, so to speak, so by deed poll in 2020 I just switched the John and the Julian, to finally put myself first.”
If you're interested in taking up or improving your portrait photography take a look at the best cameras for portraits.
