Backstage at the Royal Ballet: Intimate portraits gifted to the V&A by Mary McCartney capture dancers’ quiet moments in the wings
- Mary McCartney has donated a selection of pictures from her first solo show
- 48-year-old photographer and daughter of Paul McCartney gave them to V&A
- The pictures depict the behind-the-scenes lives of dancers at the Royal Ballet
She’s the eldest child of the Beatles legend Paul McCartney and his late wife Linda.
But Mary McCartney has stepped out from her famous father’s shadow with her debut solo exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum.
The photographer and vegetarian activist says the 14 frames, taken from Off Pointe, A Photographic Study of the Royal Ballet After Hours, contrast the ‘gruelling’ lifestyle of the ballet dancer with their ‘fairytale’ performances.
Taken in 2004, they reveal the lives of the dancers at the Royal Opera House before, during and after an evening of performance.
A selection of these photos will be displayed in the V&A Photography Centre’s inaugural display, Collecting Photography: From Daguerreotype to Digital, which opens next week.
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Mary McCartney has shared a selection of pictures from her debut solo show, which she has donated to the Victoria and Albert Museum. They show a glimpse behind the scenes at the Royal Ballet (pictured: a print entitled Murphy)
McCartney, the eldest child of Paul and Linda McCartney, was inspired to take the images following a night out in London’s Soho with Royal Ballet dancer, Sian Murphy.
The 48-year-old’s series depict intimate moments in the dancers’ lives as they smoke in between acts, drink Diet Coke and rest after an evening’s performance.
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McCartney has previously said the series captures ‘the highs and lows and the prestige and chaos behind the scenes’.
Known for her intimate and observational portraits, McCartney began by making black and white prints with her Leica R7 camera in the 1990s before developing an interest in colour photography and digital.
She cites Diane Arbus, Garry Winogrand, Jacques Henri Lartigue and her mother Linda as influences on her work.
An image entitled Bath One. The photographer and vegetarian activist, 48, said the 14 prints, taken from Off Pointe, A Photographic Study of the Royal Ballet After Hours, contrast the ‘gruelling’ lifestyle of the ballet dancer with their ‘fairytale’ performances
Mary said: ‘I’m inspired to make photographs that have a candid, honest quality.
‘Through Off Pointe, I wanted to document the hidden details of the ballet world and reveal the contrast between the sometimes gruelling, painful lifestyle of the dancers and their fairy-tale performances.
‘I’m excited that the prints now belong in the V&A. I felt that the museum would really understand this personal project and offer them the perfect home.’
Martin Barnes, senior curator of photographs at the V&A, said: ‘Mary McCartney has a talent for taking candid photographs that celebrate the extraordinary in the everyday.
Lone Dancer. Taken by Mary McCartney in 2004, they reveal the lives of the dancers at the Royal Opera House before, during and after an evening of performance
‘She has a keen eye for detailed observation and a personal drive to capture otherwise unseen intimate moments.
‘I’m delighted that we can show Mary’s fine prints alongside highlights from our historic and contemporary photography collections in our new Photography Centre.’
Mary previously admitted she was inspired to follow in the footsteps of her mother, who was also a successful photographer.
During an interview with The Guardian, the London native admitted: ‘My mum was quite a wanderer…she had a real sense of adventure and a cheekiness to her, which is something I like and that I try to take into my style of work.’
Making Tea by Mary McCartney. The eldest child of Paul and Linda McCartney, was inspired to take the images following a night out in London’s Soho with Royal Ballet dancer, Sian Murphy
Mary is the eldest child of the Beatles legend Paul McCartney and the late Linda McCartney.(Mary, Paul and Stella McCartney are seen)
The artist also touched on previous discussions with Linda, who detailed her past experiences with iconic musicians.
Mary said: ‘I remember once we went for an Indian lunch and I grilled her about her early career in photography and particularly about the people she was hanging out with. I was like: “I can’t believe you photographed Jimi Hendrix!” I was so jealous.’
Forging an impressive career in her own right, the star has created a range of intricate art pieces, including Mother Daughter, Monochrome and Colour and Twelfth Night.
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