Lennon’s former lover and other shutterbugs show off iconic photographs with a psychological message
Saturday, November 5, 2011 at 02:46AM Trust is key in making a relationship work. I know that, as a psychologist. Trust is crucial for lovers, and between photographer and subject.
Accordingly, “Trust” is a subtitle of a section of favorite photographs held by their image-maker, featured in the new book “Behind Photographs – Archiving Photographic Legends. The exquisitely published coffee table book produced by photographer Tim Mantoani includes a range from collector’s item portraits of icons like Mother Teresa, Bruce Springsteen and Nelson Mandela to jaw dropping images of war refugees, an Iraqi boy injured by an explosive, an AIDS-ridden child.and a row of Russian missing forearms deformed by pollutants. There’s also Cuba’s Fidel Castro smiling and hugging grinning Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev when they met at the United Nations General Assembly on September 20, 1960 – an encounter of particular interest to me, as an NGO representative at the UN who has sat in on GA sessions when heads of state make presentations each September.
Imagine. That’s another favorite psychological term. Imagining allows you to fulfill your dreams, consistent with the inspirational saying, “If you can see (imagine) it, and believe it, you can be it.”
Imagine is also the title of one of John Lennon’s most popular albums. Imagine if you were up close to that icon of our times.
May Pang was. The photographer and Feng Shui jewelry producer is an icon of sorts herself as the one-time assistant to Lennon and Yoko Ono who became his lover during the 1973-1975 interim phase of that relationship, referred to by Lennon as the “Lost Weekend.”
Pang’s contribution in Mantoani’s book was taken in the summer of 1975 on the Long Island Sound, capturing Lennon in a charming pose with his young son Julian.
“I helped bring the two of them together that summer,” Pang told me.
Pang answered a burning question, “Was John Lennon a good lover?” with an enthusiastic, “Yes.” When I asked her to elaborate, she replied that he knew how to please a woman first and even taught her a few things. These are all excellent signs, I told her.
Another stunning photo is the Fab Four in 1964 caught midair jumping onto a bed when told by their manager Brian Epstein that they were number 1 in American and going to New York.
Besides the Lennon shots, you can “Imagine” why I marveled at a youthful Elvis Presley caught on celluloid June 30th 1956 backstage at the Mosque Theatre in Richmond Virginia clearly tongue-kissing an unknown date. It reminded me of how Gene Simmons once thrust his (albeit longer) tongue down my throat backstage at a concert in the days when I was hosting my Z100 “LovePhones” call-in radio show.
Imagine doing something innocently at one point in time that decades later becomes outrageously valuable. Lori Grinker did that as a student in 1980 when doing a project on young boxers, taking a picture of then 14-year old Mike Tyson, being told he would become the next great heavyweight champion – and then he did! She followed the later-ear-biting champ for 10 years, and is quoted in the book saying, “He was a troubled but sweet kid who veered off the good path he was led to with all that comes with being a celebrity in that world.”
Similarly, Amy Arbus in 1983 stopped a then-unknown young woman on the street (whom she recognized as a girl in her gym who sat around naked in the locker room) to ask for a picture who said she still had her pajamas on, was grateful since she would be famous one day. The girl turned out to be Madonna.
At the book reception and exhibition recently in New York City, Mantoani described the psychological value of a still photo that you can look at again and again. “It tends to burn into your psyche. It becomes ingrained in your mind.”
Seeing the groundbreaking image-makers with their favorite subjects not only puts a face to their work, but reveals another interesting psychological principle in Mantoani’s description of how over time photographers develop their own way to seeing and their individual style. Indeed for all of us, “We all have our own personalities…our own voice and our own style.”
Convincing the photo takers to pose with their images was surprisingly not always easy. “Some were shy,” Mantoani told me. But he was persistent, driven to show young generations what these artists have done and to be inspired to create their art.
His words reminded me of a young Japanese girl in the class I taught at Tokyo’s Aoyama Gakuin University. After my lecture about following your dreams, she came up to me and told me of her dream to become a photographer, but her parents’ disapproval, wanting her to do something to insure a more secure future. She cried as I encouraged her to go for her dream.
Another valuable psychological message in the book comes from a photo of children jumping high in the air off a rock onto the sand at a beachfront on the Marshall Islands in 1997. The notation by photographer Mark Edward Harris says wisely that “kids don’t need money to entertain themselves…a lesson we should all keep in mind.”
Reader Comments (10)
Great, I like it very much, but if more pictures will be better, looking forward to your next post!Traveler dvd，Planet Dinosaur dvd is very nice, too! 1000S of dvds are free shipping!
I have been looking for years after a good data system for my 20,000+ pictures and have now found it.
paul smith uk
paul smith wallet
paul smith sale
TV dvd set on http://www.dvdboxroom.com is the best online. Firstly it should not be forgotten for most fans,it is worthy of collection.There are all kinds of new TV Shows in our store,you can choose the one which you love!You also can choose some tv shows dvdthey will save you a lot of money.Here, we will recommend the nikita dvd season 1 to youDo not you heart them?
It is the huge choice brings the versatile, boots. People wear these popular bargains for office ugg boots, dancing, dine out, and the bank slope or vacation.
moncler womens jackets
moncler womens coats
moncler womens vests
moncler womens boots
Tn Requin,puma speed cat,basket Nike Tn Chaussures,Nike TN,Chaussures Nike,pascher Nike Air Max 2010,chaussures puma,Pas cher Nike TN Requin,Chaussures Nike Tn Requin,TN Requin,Tn Requin Pas Cher,Nike TN Requins,Chaussures TN,Timberland chaussures,Air Max 95 ,Nike TN: timberland Chaussures
Chaussures Femme Chaussures Homme Chaussures Enfant Nike TN requin enfant
nouvelle nike tn requin
tn requin
Nike air max
puma chaussures
Articles written really appealing, I due for that fact it, believe your future submit. I like an online site, the previously mentioned replica tag heuer watches, replica rolex daytona, replica iwc portuguese watches together with replica tag heuer carrera watches, their own quality plus style, you have been recently incredible, you require them.What makes them really popular is that they can be far more affordable than even though effective as the very first watches.
strike back dvd box set
1000s of tv series free shipping!
more,sign up, $5 you got it!:)
more,Big discount you can get:
5% discount of the postage if you spend USD $30 for postage
3% discount of total amount if you spend USD $100
flashpoint season 3 dvd
Thank you for sharing, sparkly uggs boots fashion style in winter.
顶顶顶顶顶顶顶顶顶1000s of tv series free shipping!
more,sign up, $5 you got it!:)
more,Big discount you can get:
5% discount of the postage if you spend USD $30 for postage
3% discount of total amount if you spend USD $100
Btw, that's nice photos anyway www.healthndiseases.org