Recent Events – May
Sotheby's - New York
I remember very well the hours after I took the picture The Wolf of Main Street. I was overnighting at the remote Montana village of Ennis - down the hill from the Pioneer Bar in Virginia City - and my focus was not really the image sequence, but trying to find a motel that would be showing the final of the Australian Open tennis between Djokovic and Murray. The game was in the middle of the night in Montana, but I knew it would be on somewhere - even in this "time stands still” location of Ennis.
Tennis is not big in the hills of Montana and it proved quite a challenge. As it turned out, I had no time to review the image on my computer until half way through the third set when it became clear that Murray would again be beaten by his nemesis. It was more than adequate compensation to find one image of the wolf that was perfect.
Although I was pleased with what I saw, I could never have anticipated that night in January 2015, that just over three years later, the last edition of this now famous image would sell at Sotheby's New York for $100,000. I want to thank everyone in Montana that helped me that day and continues to help me whenever I go back. As to the buyer of the image - a man, I understand, from Chicago - I hope he will look back fondly on the day he acquired the last available version of a photograph that has no doubt helped my standing in the art world. It was a picture that was made, not taken and that has proved to be very instructive.
The hammer price was the 6th highest of the 160 lots under auction that day.
The Wolf of Main Street sold at Sotheby’s auction for $100,000 as mentioned on previous p
Nikon - European Ambassador
I am delighted that on April 30th Nikon formally announced that I would be a European Ambassador for the brand. I have been using Nikon cameras since 1983 - indeed I shot the World Cup Final in Mexico with an old Nikon F1. It is fair to say that this has not been an overnight romance.
As many know, I put my cameras through quite an ordeal and I apologise to Nikon in advance for the continued lion and elephant repair work. I look forward to speaking at events for Nikon in 2018 and beyond, as well as continuing to benefit from their wonderful new prime lenses and the great D850 and D5.
Art Angels - West Hollywood
We know how tough it is to make it in LA and we have taken our time in finding the right gallery for us. My preference was always to work with a general art gallery rather than the famous photographic galleries that operate in the area as I felt this would offer a greater opportunity to be different.
Art Angels are hardworking and fun, they also work with the fantastic German artist - Michael Moebius - who we know from Maddox in London. Kat, Jacqueline, Aphra and Gerry - the Art Angels team - know how to throw a party and it was so wonderful to have my family there on the opening night and indeed the preview dinners. I hope this is the start of a long association with a glamorous gallery in the heart of West Hollywood and a team that are young, ambitious and enthusiastic.
