MICK ROCK

Some photos have a habit of hanging around. The passage of time confers on them a near mystical quality - some are even labelled 'iconic'. That's certainly the case with a bunch of my images of David Bowie, Iggy Pop and Lou Reed from the early/mid seventies. 'The Terrible Trio'. as I dubbed them back in the day, have now graduated in their maturity to 'The Unholy Trinity' - arch rebel rockers become classic symbols of a time when rock n roll and hip culture were in the throes of dramatic changes that cast very long shadows down the years....

Now I guard these images with a certain steel like a custodian at the gates of redemption, so when Russell Young first approached me about collaborating on a series of silkscreens based on a selection of my images of the Mighty Trio, my initial response was to play it elusive. Several people over the years have tried to seduce me in to lending certain of my images to a collaborative art effort and I have always shied away. In his own quiet but persistent way Russell kept putting out the word til finally I agreed to meet him. I had in the interim explored his work and decided he was a man I respected and I also suspected that he would approach these images with the necessary sensibilty and respect. Plus I always had a yen to do silkscreens but had never gotten there on my own......Suffice to say he succeeded where others had failed and I found myself jumping into the project with a distinct enthusiasm, abandon even. And I'm glad I did. The results, I humbly proffer, speak for themselves......When the collaboration was complete I forced a big happy kiss on Russell (he put up little resistance, the record should show!). I love what we've produced. No reservations!"

Mick Rock
New York City
May 23rd 2008