FEATURE:
WOW!
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush shot for the U.S. release of The Kick Inside’s album sleeve session in March 1978 (EMI America had rejected the original cover)/PHOTO CREDIT: Gered Mankowitz
Through the Lens: The Captivating Kate Bush
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EVEN though I have written about…
PHOTO CREDIT: Gered Mankowitz
Kate Bush and her image before, I have been thinking about a book that has been delayed for a while now. Kate Bush: Symphony of You is a book I am dying to buy because, as Waterstones write, it is a must for fans and newcomers alike:
“Symphony of You is a complete celebration of Kate Bush - her music, her look, her impact, her creativity. Showcasing hundreds of Gered Mankowitz's breathtaking photographs from the early years of Kate's career, the majority of the images in this book have never been seen outside of the author's own private works. The book also features essays from authors across a number of disciplines - from best-selling novelists and award-winning musicians to academics - offering their opinions on how Kate has shaped the cultural landscape. Symphony of You is a truly special collection, and a homage to a unique artist”.
There are a couple of other invaluable photo resources/books that I want to point to. The reason I am writing about Kate Bush photographs and her incredible allure is because, when people write about her, there are aspects overlooked. People talk of the music and the incredible voice; they mention Bush’s image, but how many concentrate on that hypnotic sense of connection and soul-baring? There are Kate Bush photo collections available but, the more I research her, the more I think about photos and image. There is something about Bush that sets her aside from other artists.
IN THIS PHOTO: A press shot for Bush’s 2011’s album, Director’s Cut/PHOTO CREDIT: John Carder Bush
Even if a musician entrusts a great photographer, they (the photographer) do not always manage to tease something extraordinary from their subject. Right from the start of her career, Bush has oozed something extraordinary and breath-taking. There was a Pink Leotard series for Wuthering Heights shot in January 1978. The intended image for the single was not used. The photo from Gered Mankowitz does capture a young artist who looks sensual, relaxed, yet intriguing. Maybe it was because the photo showed Bush’s nipples, or maybe it was deemed inappropriate – in the end, a modification of The Kick Inside’s design was used as the cover for Wuthering Heights. From her teenage years, Bush has drawn the lens and captured the heart. She can naturally evoke this incredible aura and power that few other artists can rival. One can see Bush’s best images online, but there are people who will want to see her best photos collected together. Although expense, WOW! by Gered Mankowitz is a collection of photos from 1978/1979 that highlights this incredible new artist whose looks and images were integral to her music. For more information regarding Mankowitz’s photos, see here:
“WOW! Kate Bush by Gered Mankowitz features the very best work from Gered Mankowitz’s incredible 1978 / 1979 archive of Kate Bush photographs, with the majority of photographs previously unpublished. Each copy is personally signed by Gered Mankowitz.
PHOTO CREDIT: Gered Mankowitz
As with all previous Ormond Yard Press volumes, it is a book on a spectacular scale: a hardcover volume housed in its own printed slipcase and measuring 24 inches high x 18 inches wide (60x45cm) when closed, 24 x 36 inches (60 x 90cm) when open, with 96 pages of photographs. The physical scale may be large, but the edition size for WOW! is reassuringly small – just 750 individually signed and numbered copies are available to collectors worldwide”.
Whether it is a single or album cover, or a photo-shoot, there is never anything ordinary regarding Kate Bush! Another important collection of photos is Kate: Inside the Rainbow by John Carder Bush – Kate’s older brother. You can buy it here - and it is a vital documentation of Bush from childhood to 2011:
“KATE: Inside the Rainbow is a collection of beautiful images from throughout Kate Bush’s career, taken by her brother, the photographer and writer John Carder Bush. It includes outtakes from classic album shoots and never-before-seen photographs from sessions including The Dreaming and Hounds of Love, as well as rare candid studio shots and behind-the-scenes stills from video sets, including ‘Army Dreamers’ and ‘Running Up that Hill’.
These stunning images will be accompanied by two new essays by John Carder Bush: From Cathy to Kate, describing in vibrant detail their shared childhood and the early, whirlwind days of Kate’s career, and Chasing the Shot, which vividly evokes John’s experience of photographing his sister.
A beautiful, full-colour coffee-table hardback with a quarter-bound linen cover and head and tail bands
Includes more than 250 stunning rare and unpublished black and white and colour photographs, taken between 1964 and 2011”.
IN THIS PHOTO: Bush shot by Gered Mankowitz for the Wuthering Heights session in 1978
There are articles about the book here and here, and I suggest anyone who wants to see how an artist can truly stagger and stun the senses buy the book. Maybe it is the brother-sister bond, but one looks at the shots through Kate: Inside the Rainbow, and your heart sort of melts. Perhaps it is that smile or the way Bush can connect with the camera, but I feel Bush’s style and visual engagement is as crucial as her music. So many artists do not really connect their image to their music, but in Bush’s case, the two are interconnected. One only needs to watch her videos and see photos of her on tour to realise here was a woman who understood the importance of art. It is hard to put into words, but I was drawn to Kate Bush because of her videos and how different she was to anyone else. From Wuthering Heights and early singles to her promotional images for 50 Words for Snow, there is nobody like her! It is rare to gravitate towards an artist because of how they connect with the camera, and how they can embody different characters and guises through the years. Maybe David Bowie is the other great artist who has a similar gravitas and genius.
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1989/PHOTO CREDIT: John Carder Bush
I know Kate Bush: Symphony of You is mooted for an autumn release, and I will be snapping up the book! Bush’s music tells us a lot about her, but I think photos reveal new sides to her. She always seems so confident and effortless in front of the camera; she has that ability to switch between shy and assured; to assume these different personas but, beneath it all, remain this unique and endlessly inspiring person. I would compel people to buy books like Kate: Inside the Rainbow, as every picture tells a story. One can see the change and growth of this fantastic person who, very early in her career, was making hearts skip and standing out from the pack. I am not sure what the future holds for Bush and her music – and whether she will ever release another album -, but I am spending a lot of time revisiting her videos and photos. I have not even mentioned her videos, but maybe that will be for another feature! They are always fabulous and like these mini-films that engage the senses and tell these wonderful stories. There is so much I love about Kate Bush, but her affinity to amaze without saying a word is very high up the list. For over four decades, she has amazed and wowed people in so many different ways. If you think you understand and connect with Bush through her music, you get yet more layers and beauty when you encounter her…
PHOTO CREDIT: Guido Harari
THROUGH the lens.