Chalkie Davies documentary from 2015 , featuring Elvis, repeated on BBC , July 2018

Pretty self-explanatory
johnfoyle
Posts: 14851
Joined: Wed Jun 04, 2003 4:37 pm
Location: Dublin , Ireland

Re: Chalkie Davies photo exhibition, Wales, May 2015

Post by johnfoyle »

Chalkie and Chris Difford are also doing a retrospective "chat" at the Laugharne Weekend from 10-12 April:

https://www.facebook.com/tinshedexperie ... 1556434200

http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/event/WNF1004W

http://s452743659.websitehome.co.uk/


Chalkie tells me that BBC Wales are filming him next week in New York at the place where the large scale reproductions of his photos are being produced. They will also be filming a interview with Elvis.

Chalkie also tells that their will be another 'chat' between himself and Chris Difford in Cardiff on Thursday , May 14th. It's invite only. He has kindly asked me and I will be going. He has said I can ask other people so if anyone here would like to go please let me know - I have to send names so that they can be put on a list.
johnfoyle
Posts: 14851
Joined: Wed Jun 04, 2003 4:37 pm
Location: Dublin , Ireland

Re: Chalkie Davies photo exhibition, Wales, May 2015

Post by johnfoyle »

Chalkie comments -


Having just put together a 64 print retrospective here in the US working in inches, and the National Museum in Wales talking only in centimeters, it's really confusing, now doing postcards, posters etc which are not prints but design jobs and we are trying to work in Centimeters, but it's driving us nuts
sulky lad
Posts: 2423
Joined: Fri Jul 29, 2005 5:21 pm
Location: Out of the kitchen,she's gone with the wind

Re: Chalkie Davies photo exhibition, Wales, May 2015

Post by sulky lad »

Further to your email and PM, John, I'm afraid I can't make the 14th May - it's my fathers 89 th birthday weekend. !
johnfoyle
Posts: 14851
Joined: Wed Jun 04, 2003 4:37 pm
Location: Dublin , Ireland

Re: Chalkie Davies photo exhibition, Wales, May 2015

Post by johnfoyle »

Chalkie Davies posts today on facebook -


FINALLY, WALES IS READY FOR CHALKIE'S RETROSPECTIVE.

Please excuse 'Boss like hype' but after three years of hard work I can finally announce my show at the National Museum of Wales, it opens on
May 9th and runs thru September 6th. Sixty Four prints, a great many favourites and lots of unseen images, some as large as 6x4 feet. Come and look at how young we all were, and a set of portraits I shot specifically for this show with Carol Starr that I put in a box and waited 30 years for a museum to phone up and offer to put on show.

They are using Lemmy as the poster boy, a bold move by a bunch of folks who have been incredibly supportive for the last three years. Thanks to all my many other friends who have supported me thru this long and quite memorable journey, you know who you are.


http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/cardiff/whatson/?id=7844

Image
johnfoyle
Posts: 14851
Joined: Wed Jun 04, 2003 4:37 pm
Location: Dublin , Ireland

Re: Chalkie Davies photo exhibition, Wales, May 2015

Post by johnfoyle »

From Chalkie's facebook page -


Image

Being filmed in the Elizabethan Room at the National Museum Wales, explaining the finer points of portraiture contained in 500 year old paintings. Also known as the Art of the Single Ear...Thx to RebeccaSunflower PhotographyThomas for working so hard with Katherine Wilkins De Francis and Michael Anderson to make a great days filming.


Image

This is Sully Island, near the village I grew up in, and where I hung out as a kid. I have not been here in 45 years. Katherine with Tudor and Steve from BBC Wales. I finally figured out how to shoot with an iPhone, fab photo by Becks


Image

This is a first, an Access All Areas pass for a Museum, with a caveat, you can't just wander around like you can at a gig, you need to be escorted, given the treasures contained in the National Museum this is done for obvious reasons, but instead of some huge bodyguard you are looked after by a lovely group of people. My time here has been incredibly productive and it's going to be a great show. To suggest that my wildest dreams are coming true is an understatement, I always knew this would be a cool experience, but it's way more than that, I'm working with an exceptional team, and nothing makes more happy than to have a group of people, i.e. the artist and the museum staff, with such mutual trust and faith in each other. I saw the framed prints too, and with the help of the Museum's design and lighting team it's going to look incredible.
User avatar
Man out of Time
Posts: 1823
Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2007 8:15 am
Location: just off the coast of Europe
Contact:

Re: Chalkie Davies photo exhibition, Wales, May 2015

Post by Man out of Time »

Chalkie Davies writes:

"To suggest that my wildest dreams are coming true is an understatement, I always knew this would be a cool experience."

I am so glad this is working out for him, given his frustrations around what should have been a print publication to accompany the exhibition. Certainly he has put a lot of his own time and energy into the project, and it may all turn out well after all. I imagine for the museum staff it is a novelty to have a living Welsh artist to exhibit.

Here is my one and only Chalkie Davies photo from his exhibition at Snap Galleries last year, John F on the left obviously, Chalkie in the middle:
Chalkie.jpg
Chalkie.jpg (18.78 KiB) Viewed 23205 times
Looking forward to seeing the exhibition in Cardiff next month.

MOOT
johnfoyle
Posts: 14851
Joined: Wed Jun 04, 2003 4:37 pm
Location: Dublin , Ireland

Re: Chalkie Davies photo exhibition, Wales, May 2015

Post by johnfoyle »

Thanks MOOT.


More from Chalkie , via f/book

Image

Had a great day filming at the Hulton Library yesterday with some very old friends. I'm looking at 8x10 negatives of Wreckless Eric with a Sledgehammer, taken long before Peter Gabriel wrote a song about one. Ace photo as usual by RebeccaSunflower PhotographyThomas


Image

This is the first time I have been in Hammersmith Odeon in 30 years. They have done a beautiful renovation job, restored it to its former glory. I pretty much lived here in the 70's, one time I found an empty room upstairs in the backstage, so they cleaned it and opened a bar for the (tired from security detail) Odeon Managers to have a drink after the shows, it's quite small, but now it's a green room.
johnfoyle
Posts: 14851
Joined: Wed Jun 04, 2003 4:37 pm
Location: Dublin , Ireland

Re: Chalkie Davies photo exhibition, Wales, May 2015

Post by johnfoyle »

More from f/book -

This is my Jack Nicholson moment, texting Jerry Dammers from the Hulton Library wearing dark reading glasses. Fab photo as always by RebeccaSunflower


Image
johnfoyle
Posts: 14851
Joined: Wed Jun 04, 2003 4:37 pm
Location: Dublin , Ireland

Re: Chalkie Davies photo exhibition, Wales, May 2015

Post by johnfoyle »

More from Chalkie on f/book-

Image

A man on his knees, with a tape measure and a spirit level. Indicating that my Retrospective is nearly ready to go on show to the public on
May 9th. The people here solved a number of problems today proving that the level of expertise contained in this building is immeasurable. My heartfelt thanks to all those on the team here at the National Museum Wales in Cardiff.
johnfoyle
Posts: 14851
Joined: Wed Jun 04, 2003 4:37 pm
Location: Dublin , Ireland

Re: Chalkie Davies photo exhibition, Wales, May 2015

Post by johnfoyle »

More -

Image

Moving on to the big wall, this is just one half, I have been waiting a long time to see this. Looking quite good I think. It's not the easiest of tasks, figuring this all out, but with these National Museum Wales chaps in charge, plus the multitalented Pip Diment helping in every possible way then I'm in good hands.
johnfoyle
Posts: 14851
Joined: Wed Jun 04, 2003 4:37 pm
Location: Dublin , Ireland

Re: Chalkie Davies photo exhibition, Wales, May 2015

Post by johnfoyle »

Image

Carol Starr's 1983 Polaroid of David Gilmour, in a Scott Crolla shirt and matching blue Fender Strat, the double gold disk for Live and Dangerous, in a glass case at National Museum Wales. Never in my wildest dreams would I ever have thought this would happen.


Image


Image

They wear rubber gloves, have huge biceps, hang well. These qualifications are of a museum quality, and that's where they work. National Museum Wales.

Image

Image

Image

Image
johnfoyle
Posts: 14851
Joined: Wed Jun 04, 2003 4:37 pm
Location: Dublin , Ireland

Re: Chalkie Davies photo exhibition, Wales, May 2015

Post by johnfoyle »

The latest from Chalkie -

Image

Luckily I'm not on the couch, instead the One Show made a short film with the lovely Cerys Matthews. It's being broadcast tonight. I took her portrait, but will post that tonight.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007tcw7
User avatar
Goon Squad
Posts: 1514
Joined: Wed Jun 16, 2010 11:27 am
Location: ......I'm here in the zoo.

Re: Chalkie Davies photo exhibition, Wales, May 2015

Post by Goon Squad »

Just saw this on tv purely by chance. Interesting little film and loads of great photos shown. I especially liked the Sid and Nancy story.
johnfoyle
Posts: 14851
Joined: Wed Jun 04, 2003 4:37 pm
Location: Dublin , Ireland

Re: Chalkie Davies photo exhibition, Wales, May 2015

Post by johnfoyle »

Some very touching moments in that film, Chalkie talking about his deceased friends as having 'run out of life' etc. I'm so looking forward to seeing this exhibition next week.
johnfoyle
Posts: 14851
Joined: Wed Jun 04, 2003 4:37 pm
Location: Dublin , Ireland

Re: Chalkie Davies photo exhibition, Wales, May 2015

Post by johnfoyle »

Chalkie's photo of the front of the National Museum, Cardiff

Image
johnfoyle
Posts: 14851
Joined: Wed Jun 04, 2003 4:37 pm
Location: Dublin , Ireland

Re: Chalkie Davies photo exhibition, Wales, May 2015

Post by johnfoyle »

johnfoyle
Posts: 14851
Joined: Wed Jun 04, 2003 4:37 pm
Location: Dublin , Ireland

Re: Chalkie Davies photo exhibition, Wales, May 2015

Post by johnfoyle »

Chalkie messaged me via f/book last night -

Museum had 900 visitors today, expect 2,000 this weekend. I'm totally speechless.




Image
Photo by Becky

The show has had a lot of write ups -


http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign ... um-cardiff


http://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/a ... Wales-main


http://www.itv.com/news/wales/2015-05-0 ... xhibition/



Lotsa photos via Chalkie's f/book page -


Image
Photo by Emyr Young


Image

From the days when the dinosaurs stood no chance, the NME took no prisoners. Last minute proofs for the catalog. Tony Iommi, a quiet and retiring man plays a sitar in one of the many bathrooms at his Manor House. Freddie Mercury channels Nijinsky, puts out a lame album and we show no mercy, headline by the great Charles Shaar Murray


Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Via Richard A. -

Image
johnfoyle
Posts: 14851
Joined: Wed Jun 04, 2003 4:37 pm
Location: Dublin , Ireland

Re: Chalkie Davies photo exhibition, Wales, May 2015

Post by johnfoyle »

Image

Michael Anderson 's blurry photo of the museum entrance - I'll get a better one on Thursday.
JONPD
Posts: 1672
Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2010 3:49 pm

Re: Chalkie Davies photo exhibition, Wales, May 2015

Post by JONPD »

Here's another write up from the Barry & District News which at one time would have been Chalkie's local paper.

http://www.barryanddistrictnews.co.uk/l ... ie_Davies/
johnfoyle
Posts: 14851
Joined: Wed Jun 04, 2003 4:37 pm
Location: Dublin , Ireland

Re: Chalkie Davies photo exhibition, Wales, May 2015

Post by johnfoyle »

I had a great few days in Cardiff, seeing Chalkie's fantastic exhibition. Everyone was very welcoming. It poured rain most of Thursday but Friday was sunny. On Friday I checked out Welsh newspaper accounts of Elvis's shows 1978-1983 only to find there was little more than ads. & listings. The microfilms of the 'papers are stored in a warehouse in a dingy part of town so that was a bit of a adventure.

It was good to meet JONPD from this forum and get all his inside information on Cardiff. I was glad to visit Spillers Records, maybe the oldest record store in the world.

Image
Chris Difford interviewed Chalkie , but it was more of a natter between mates, highly informative, lots of scandal!

Image

Image

I managed to pop up in some publicity photos -

Image
Me in the middle, discussing the suit that Elvis Costello is wearing in the photo (from 1978) behind me. The fantastic reproduction shows it's thrift store origin in all it's glory. Chalkie Davies says it was bought in Albany

Image
I'm the bloke with the envelope who's , surprise surprise ,all of a blur.

Chalkie asked me to drop in to see him on Friday , after all the hoopla pf the night before. I sat with him for a while in the gallery, bothered him for some news about Elvis ( he offered up some , in his usual reserved way) and generally talked about relieved he is that the show has turned out so well. He's looking forward to showing Elvis around it at the end of June.

Image
sulky lad
Posts: 2423
Joined: Fri Jul 29, 2005 5:21 pm
Location: Out of the kitchen,she's gone with the wind

Re: Chalkie Davies photo exhibition, Wales, May 2015

Post by sulky lad »

St David's Hall, Cardiff has always been one of my favourite places to see EC (solo 1984 is one of my favourite gigs). Surprised to find you couldn't get much from local papers re the shows/ Where did Chalkie take the picture of Elvis in his thrift store suit ? Sounds like a great exhibition!
johnfoyle
Posts: 14851
Joined: Wed Jun 04, 2003 4:37 pm
Location: Dublin , Ireland

Re: Chalkie Davies photo exhibition, Wales, May 2015

Post by johnfoyle »

It's this one from the El Mocambo show in 1978. In the huge print on the wall in Cardiff you can see that the suit is made from some kind of velour. Chalkie couldn't remember what colour it was - are there any colour photos from that show?

Image


Elvis's kind of crouched pose was a stage trick of his at the time. Jake Riviera didn't like it being photographed , believing it reduced the effect for people going to shows. Chalkie was allowed take the picture after agreeing to not to let it be used for the foreseeable future. That , at least , is a story I remember about this photo - I don't know when it first appeared.
johnfoyle
Posts: 14851
Joined: Wed Jun 04, 2003 4:37 pm
Location: Dublin , Ireland

Re: Chalkie Davies photo exhibition, Wales, May 2015

Post by johnfoyle »

Mark Perry has written a fantastic account of this exhibition -


Recently, I braved the twin rigours of the British weather & First Great Western’s ancient rolling stock in order to visit the photographic exhibition ‘Chalkie Davies: The NME Years’ at the National Museum Cardiff. Fittingly, my journey through this kingdom of rains took place on a Thursday, the day forever associated in my mind with the weekly music papers going on sale during my 1970s grammar school youth. On those now distant mornings, we’d crowd excitedly around the desk of whoever had bagged copy of NME on his way to school, choking & rubbing our eyes amid a miasma of toxic print fumes, chuckling with knowing cynicism at every mean-spirited bon mot. Hardly a sophisticated readership, we asked little more of our leather-jacketed, ex-hippy overlords than this:

1. Tell us which records which will make us look cooler than those oafs sat over there reading the Melody Maker (or, God forbid, Sounds).
2. Decapitate everything else in the world on a razor-edged guillotine of snarky headlines, smart-arse one-liners, puerile in-jokes and full-scale CSM-vs.-Paul-McCartney-style eviscerations.

By the time the bell summoning us to assembly sounded, this weekly cultural truffle hunt would have exacted a grim toll on our appearance. The old music weeklies were justly famous for transferring industrial quantities of print from paper to hand to face to clothes to … just about everywhere else. Chalkie Davies was responsible for more than his share of the filth flung at the nation’s pop kids in those days, his iconic images often loaded with enough black ink to transform the most cherubic of choirboys into a grubby Dickensian chimneysweep. Sellotaped to noticeboards & bedroom walls, these were the photos which provided a pictorial backdrop to our adolescence as surely as Bowie, Costello and The Clash soundtracked it, proclaiming our ineffable hipness to … er … nobody but ourselves, probably.

You might think, then, that the present exhibition would have little more to offer the old campaigner than could be gained from a nostalgic rummage through those yellowing piles of old NMEs in the attic. You’d be quite wrong. Freed from the compromises of editorial cropping & charcoal-on-toilet-paper production values, even the most familiar of Chalkie’s images takes on a new lease of life in Cardiff. Better still, he clearly made the most of the now-unthinkable freedom of access afforded him while on assignment and was able to stockpile his own private collection of superb portraiture. It is this personal stash which has been plundered to make up a large part of the exhibition, and the National Museum, thankfully, hasn’t wasted its opportunity.

The intimate gallery presentation is faultless: simply-framed prints hang on plain white walls under sympathetic lighting, the size & resolution nicely judged, enabling viewers to appreciate fine detail (the weft of Elvis Costello’s thrift-store stage suit, a passer-by oblivious to Sex Pistols shenanigans outside Buckingham Palace) without losing a sense of the image as a whole (the 2 Tone gang perched on shingle at Brighton in what is essentially a classic wildlife photograph, a mêlée of press archetypes surrounding Keith Richards in what could be a still from a badly-staged farce). My personal favourite is a casually intimate portrait of Van Morrison, relaxing on a hotel bed in the naffest of chunky knitwear & heavy-rimmed spectacles, a million miles from his punchy public image. It’s a beautiful shot which probably reveals as much about the photographer as it does about his subject (for I’m guessing that you don’t get to take that sort of picture of Van Morrison by being some sort of insufferable, self-regarding arse).

The decades since these wonderful photographs were taken have seen the music scene grow infinitely less charming. A corporate mass of brand-conscious careerists with little to say has mostly exterminated the old freewheeling circus of eccentric chancers, winging it for as long as they could get away with it. The pictures at Chalkie’s exhibition serve as a poignant reminder of less rigidly controlled times – magnificent monochrome markers charting the places where the ship went down.
Azmuda
Posts: 846
Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2011 11:49 am

Re: Chalkie Davies photo exhibition, Wales, May 2015

Post by Azmuda »

Chalkie Davies interview in Buzz, April 2015

http://issuu.com/buzzmagsouthwales/docs/april_online/14


Image

Image

Image

Image
Post Reply