AP History - Brian "Duffy" Duffy 1933-2010
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| Brian Duffy. Copyright © Graeme Robertson/The Guardian |
On Monday 31st May 2010 we lost one of the greatest anarchic, creative and dynamic minds of our time. After many months of fighting a degenerative lung condition Brian Duffy finally lost his battle.
He will be greatly missed by his family, friends and all those so many people who's hearts and souls he has touched.
Duffy lived life on his own terms and by his own rules. Always generous, always a champion of the underdog and an inspiration to all that came into his orbit.
His legend and spirit will live on.
May he forever Rest In Peace.
Tribute To Duffy By Lord Puttnam
Brian Duffy was far more than a gifted photographer; he was a uniquely constructive "social anarchist" who, through sheer force of personality, helped push the stultifying conservatism of the 1950's into permanent retreat.
They may not know it, but every participant in what today would be referred to as the 'Creative Industries' will be forever in his debt.
Being around Duffy could be explosive and even alarming; but never, ever dull!
How can you ever adequately thank the person who, with his wife June, opened the window to a whole set of possibilities that, in North London of the early 60s', seemed entirely unattainable.
He questioned the validity of everything from the position of someone courageous enough to challenge just about every received convention he ran up against.
In some that can be an insufferable trait, but in Duffy it was nothing short of inspirational; allowing those he influenced to develop the type of informal self-belief that can move mountains.
Irreverent, loving and irresistible; Brian Duffy was unquestionably the brightest person ever to illuminate the young life of my family and myself.
David Puttnam
3rd June 2010
Lord David Puttnam. Copyright © Brian Duffy
Duffy obituaries online:
| Vogue | The British Journal of Photography |
| The Guardian 1 | NME |
| The Guardian 2 | Scotsman |
| The Times 1 | The BBC |
| The Times 2 | Daily Express |
| The Telegraph |
Brian Duffy - The Man Who Shot the 60's
(click image for a larger view)
Duffy
joined Artist Partners as the assistant
to Adrian Flowers, another hugely talented photographer, in the early
1950’s.
Whilst at AP he met the novelist Len Deighton and in later years he and Duffy set up a film production company and produced 'Only When I Larf' released in 1968, directed by Basil Dearden and starring Richard Attenborough and David Hemmings. 'Oh! What a Lovely War', was released in 1969, directed by Richard Attenborough and won a Golden Globe and a BAFTA.
But, it is Duffy's iconic images of the 1960's and "Swinging London" along with his fashion photography for Elle, Vogue and Glamour that he is remembered for. He also shot two Pirelli calenders - 1965 and 1973 - and the most iconic image of the 1970's, the cover of David Bowie's 'Aladdin Sane'. Duffy also did two more album covers for Bowie - 'Scary Monsters' and 'The Lodger'.
Duffy was one of the most dynamic and inventive photographers of the
1960s. Together with his old muckers Terence Donovan and David Bailey,
he made up 'The Black Trinity', a soubriquet used by Norman Parkinson
to describe his new, highly successful competition. Then, after more than
twenty years at the cutting edge of photography, Duffy vanished from the
industry. A rumour then spread that he had burned his negatives.
Ever the anarchist, Duffy had indeed begun this destructive, yet cathartic
procedure one afternoon in 1979. However, not all the negatives were destroyed.
After
nearly three years of painstakingly archiving the surviving images, Duffy
displayed his photographs for the first time. The exhibition contained
60 virtually unseen portraits, fashion photographs, and personal pictures
by the man who, along with his two friends, helped revolutionise the photography
business. It is an extraordinary body of work that powerfully documents
the vibrancy of London in the 'Swinging 60s'.
Duffy's recent revival was the subject of a 60 minute feature-length BBC
Four documentary "The Man Who Shot the 60's" by Crackit
Productions. He had previously
appeared in the 2002 documentary 'Fame,
Fashion and Photography: The Real Blow Up'.
As well as the exhibition at the Chris Beetles Gallery in October 2009, Duffy has two images in The National Portrait Gallery's exhibition 'Beatles to Bowie: the 60's exposed'.
View the 60 minute documentary of Brian Duffy "The Man Who Shot the 60's"