Photography Exhibition: Peter Anderson + Mary Dunkin
Step into The Pilgrm to discover a treasure trove of seasonal art shows that shine a light on a variety of artists, curated throughout the year.
This March, we are delighted to be launching a photography exhibition displaying two unique artists alongside each other: Peter Townsend and Mary Dunkin.
Peter Anderson is a British photographer renowned for his influential work in music and portrait photography. Born in Glasgow, he studied at the Glasgow School of Art before continuing at the Royal College of Art in London, where he developed both his technical skill and visual style. After moving to London in the late 1970s, he began photographing club scenes and emerging bands, an approach that led to his breakthrough as a staff photographer for New Musical Express (NME) in the 1980s. While at NME, Anderson gained access to some of the most important musicians of the era. His subjects included Madonna, The
Rolling Stones, Bono, Marvin Gaye, Run DMC, Joe Strummer, Iggy Pop, Nick Cave and Damon Albarn amongst many others, demonstrating both the breadth of his work and his ability to capture defining moments in music history. He is particularly noted for his early photographs of The Style Council and Paul Weller, many of which became iconic album covers. He has contributed to several magazines, including The Face, i-D, and Rolling Stone, helping define the visual identity of British music culture of the late twentieth century. A large selection of his work is currently being exhibited throughout
the lounge and café at The Pilgrm.
Mary Dunkin (1948-2008) became a professional photographer when she was in her forties and a mother of two young sons. Before that she had been a graphic designer and author of pictorial books. The career change was a brave and brilliant move. She became an outstanding portraitist. Her work appeared extensively in leading publications including The Sunday Times Magazine and the Independent on Sunday Review and is included in the National Portrait Gallery’s permanent collection.
Her series which is currently on display at The Pilgrm is titled Long Hair Day; the images are more than 20 years old. Mary Dunkin wrote about them at the time: “These photographs are simply about women who have let their hair grow very long. They are rare breed – I’d never seen one until I started to look for them. I talked to the women about why they had chosen to grow it to such lengths and although they had extreme hair they did not have extreme views about why they had decided to grow it. They did however have extreme reactions to the idea of losing it – bereavement, nightmares and loss of identity were spoken of. But as to its presence, it was something that was simply part of them, and for some of them, it had been for nearly all of their lives. Asking them about having long hair was rather like asking them what they felt about having ten fingers – you take them for granted, but if you lost one…”
Photography by Peter Anderson and Mary Dunkin is on display throughout the lounge and cafe at The Pilgrm Hotel London until the summer. Many pieces are available to purchase, prices are displayed in situ. Entry to The Pilgrm is free, but we hope you'll enjoy a coffee or delicious brunch whilst you're here.
Find us at 25 London Street, W2 1HH - just opposite Paddington station.
