AFTERMATH: Bill chats photography in Photography Monthly interview... A cuppa with... Bill Wyman 13/6/14

Web exclusive: Daisy McCorgray chats to ex-bassist of the Rolling Stones, Bill Wyman, about capturing his life in pictures
It’s a sunny March morning on Kensington High Street as I hurry towards Sticky Fingers, the restaurant owned by former bassist of The Rolling Stones, Bill Wyman. This year sees the 50^th anniversary of the Stones’ self titled first album release, and Bill has taken a break in his recording schedule with current band The Rhythm Kings to chat over a nice cup of tea with PM, (for the record that’s milk, no sugar and the tea bag left in). A photographer, archivist and a keen archaeologist, his latest offering is the limited edition Bill Wyman’s Scrapbook. Only 1962 have been produced of the painstaking pictorial record of his life, accompanied throughout by personal anecdotes and a hand written commentary. Devoted to photography since his boyhood, Bill has produced an extensive collection of landscape and nature images, plus candid behind the scenes shots of life on the road, that have featured in multiple exhibitions, most recently in the Bill Wyman – Reworked exhibition at the Rook and Raven gallery. Wyman discusses the inspiration behind his craft.

What inspired you to take up photography?

“My uncle gave me his old brownie box camera as a child and I just went around taking pictures of buildings and things like that, not people,” he says. “I was interested in objects – I always have been, that’s why I’m interested in archaeology. I’ve got loads of celebrity photos, but they’re not my favourite. When I do photograph people I try to catch them not being aware of the camera; you get more natural shots, you know.” He points out a flamboyant image of Brian Jones, “He was the first rock and roll star to wear jewellery and hats and things… oh yeah, he created the precedent.”

Are you more interested in taking pictures of things in your environment than people?

“Landscape photography is one of my favourites, and nature. I’ve got photos of those butterflies that are like tiny hummingbirds, hawk moths, it’s really hard to get them because they go so fast.”

What was it that triggered you to put the Scrapbook out there?

“Well, I’ve got 25,000 photos so I wanted to do something with them,” he says. “The people who had done scrapbooks with Johnny Rotten and Boy George got in touch. They heard about my archives and thought it would be a good idea to see if I could come up with anything. I’ve archived them all over the years so I know exactly where it all is, it’s all cross referenced – I have my own system that I’ve learnt to put together.”

Are there any photos here that have a particularly memorable story behind them?

“They all have! How can I say a favourite image!” he exclaims. “There’s the bass guitar I built when I didn’t have any money. It did have frets, but I took them out to replace them and it sounded so good that I kept it without… unknowingly I invented the fretless bass guitar, which became a very saleable object about five years later. There’s a story with everything. This one is quite iconic,” he says, pointing to a black and white image “My picture of the choir singing ‘You can’t always get what you want’ at Olympic Studios, there’s no photos of that except the ones that I’ve got.”

So if you had advise your daughters between a career in music or photography, which would it be?

“They’re all very creative in their own way, I haven’t tried to push them in any direction. Jessica wants to be a singer” he rolls his eyes, “but she says she just wants to play pubs, she’s not interested in writing a hit record – and she’s takes beautiful photos, quite different to me, she does her own thing, which I like.” He continues, “They thought that the Rolling Stones was a bit like the band I’m in now, The Rhythm Kings, they didn’t think that they were world famous! Until I took them to some of the shows and they said ‘why did you leave?’ and I said ‘so I could have you guys!’.”

Who inspires you?

“I’m great friends with Sir Peter Blake the artist and he’s given me some work which I’ve got in my house,” he says. “I admire other people’s work obviously, but it doesn’t influence my style or change the way I take photos – I’ve got a certain way I do it and that’s the way I stay… it seems to be quite successful so I’m not changing! When the bus is going in the right direction you don’t ding the bell to get off!”

What gear do you use?

“My original camera was a Nikon,” he says. His current choice of gear is a D40 Nikon with a 52 mm lens and a D90 Nikon with a 105 mm lens.

Behind the lens or in front of it, which do you prefer?

“Photography to being photographed… about 500% more!”

It must have been great to see your images reinterpreted at your recent Reworked exhibition…

Oh it was! The Reworked exhibition was interesting because it was collaborative with some other artists. Gerald Scarf, who did all the designs for The Wall by Pink Floyd, did an impersonation of one of my pictures, of Keith Richards being silly, and that came out fantastic. There was this guy that did biro drawings that looked like a photograph. I had a side picture of Jerry Hall and he did a biro drawing of it, it was unbelievable... shade and everything.

So, what’s next for your photography?

“I’ve always got three or four projects going at the same time. I’m working on two books – One is on the history of my house in Suffolk,” the 15^th century Gedding Hall, “and I’m working on a book of my own life, in detail.”

In addition to working on a solo album, Bill has also been commissioned by The Dorchester’s new hotel; 45 Park Lane “They had other artists too, Sir Peter Blake, and what’s his name, the contemporary one, not the girl who does the beds, the other one who’s more famous… Damien Hirst! They asked me to take 14 photos throughout London, so I went out at three in the morning to all the bridges all the way down the Thames and took photos of various parts of London – The Houses of Parliament, Tower Bridge. They liked them so much after the first 14 they asked it they could have another 14, so I had to go back out again and go up the other end of the river to Putney… so I’ve got 28 pictures hanging there.”

The Dorchester asked the artists involved to pick an example of their work for an upcoming exhibition, “I’ve got this massive five foot portrait of deer in Richmond Park, all the ground is frosty white with the deer grazing. My wife Suzanne loves it so she wanted it hanging in the house, and I’ve been waiting and waiting, trying to avoid doing it! I don’t do that you know, I’ve got a 140 bloody gold records, which I don’t have hanging round my house… they’re up in the attic! I like other people’s art. So luckily this exhibition came along, and I can say ‘Oh we’ll use this picture for that’ instead of hanging it in the house! That’s my escape.”

Saturday, June 14, 2014

Bill chats photography in Photography Monthly interview... A cuppa with... Bill Wyman 13/6/14