Terry O'Neill is one of the most renowned celebrity photographers of the 20th Century. His work hangs in national art galleries and private collections all over the world. With a career spanning six decades, O'Neill has captured with his lens the greatest icons of our age, from Winston Churchill to Nelson Mandela; from Frank Sinatra and Elvis to Amy Winehouse; from Audrey Hepburn and Brigitte Bardot to Nicole Kidman.
If you're looking to dress the walls of your home with some iconic photographs of celebrities, now is your chance. This Thursday, a 35-piece collection of some of O'Neill's most timeless images, dubbed "It Girls & Boys," will take up residency inside the Design District's Nest Casa showroom.
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The British photographer's eye has captured some of the greatest moments of our time. He and his camera were there when the Beatles and the Rolling Stones were just struggling young musicians back in 1963. He made backstage photography famous with offstage photos of David Bowie, Elton John, The Who, Eric Clapton, and Chuck Berry. His images have graced the covers of historic rock albums, movie posters, and magazine covers worldwide. He also happens to be the only photographer to be invited to shoot on the set of every James Bond movie ever made.
O'Neill's knack for capturing his subjects in intimate candid moments -- as seen in an iconic image of Faye Dunaway, his wife at the time, at the Beverly Hills Hotel pool the morning after she won her Oscar -- is what makes his work highly collectible.
Nest, a 2,400-square-foot home showroom of fancy European furnishings, has collaborated with the legendary photographer to foster the idea of using photography to create an artful home. Nest Casa owner Sara Colombo is an avid art collector, so when the opportunity struck to share her love for the medium, the model-turned-showroom-owner is ready and willing to share her passion with Miami. "I've always loved photography, and obviously I worked on the other side of the camera for a long time," Colombo says.
The exhibit will feature O'Neill's intimately candid portraits -- primarily in classic black-and-whit e -- of famous faces such as Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Frank Sinatra, Brigitte Bardot, and Raquel Welch. The Little Black Gallery of London exclusively curated "It Girls & Boys" for Nest, and it had Miami in mind while putting together the show. "Our exhibit is a little Miami-focused," Colombo says. "I worked with the curator, and we put together something that was very Terry O'Neill and very iconic but that I thought would be right for the Miami market."
O'Neill shot several times in Miami during his career. "Terry has said that he's so excited to be back in Miami and that he has such fond memories of Miami, especially with Frank Sinatra," says Colombo, who is a close friend of the photographer's. One of his most memorable images shows Sinatra as he arrived in Miami Beach with his entourage while filming The Lady in Cement in 1968.
For tonight's unveiling of the stateside exhibit, Terry O'Neill will personally introduce the collection and will sign copies of a selection of his books. Although the opening-night event is by invitation only, items will remain on display and will be available for purchase through June. Visit nestcasa.com.
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