OPENING
NOV.
24-26
We’ve got all your rock ‘n’ roll needs covered.
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Welcome to our opening weekend!
Come by on whichever day suits you best,
starting on Friday, November 24th!
The show goes on until the end of the year!
(and probably a bit into 2024, because it's so good...)
THE SHOW INcludES many unseen studio, on-stage,
and off-stage photos of your favorite ARTISTS!
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OPENING WEEKEND HOURS:
FRI. Nov. 24th: 6-8 pm
SAT. Nov. 25th: 4-8 pm
SUN. Nov. 26th: 3-5 pm
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Kindly let us know which day you plan to attend by RSVPing
as this will assist us in our planning!
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THE PHOTOGRAPHERS
JAKE CHESSUM
Jake Chessum, originally from Croydon, South London, is since ‘99 located in New York City.
Throughout the 1990s, Jake made a name for himself by capturing the early careers of emerging stars such as Beck, The Beastie Boys, Aaliyah, Quentin Tarantino, Tori Amos, and Ice Cube.
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Jake Chessum's lens has been sought after by a prestigious list of international editorial and advertising clients, including renowned names like Apple TV+, Levis, The New York Times Magazine, Esquire, and HBO, among many others. His portfolio is a diverse collection of notable personalities spanning the worlds of music, film, politics, and beyond. From David Bowie, Heath Ledger, and Nicole Kidman to Barack Obama, Bill Gates, and Jay Z.
His captivating portraits grace the pages of esteemed magazines, and his client list reads like a who's who of film, politics, sports, and music. From Robert De Niro and Johnny Depp to Hillary Clinton and Coldplay, his work is a testament to his distinctive and candid approach to visual storytelling.
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In collaboration with New York Magazine, Jake Chessum and Amy Larocca co-authored "The New York Look Book," a captivating documentation of the stylish looks of the city's inhabitants, captured on the vibrant streets of NYC. The book presents a collection of over two hundred outstanding features, along with a special "Where to Find It" section, store listings, and an insider's guide to the city's distinctive neighborhoods.
tony sanchez
Tony Sanchez, also known as ‘Spanish Tony’, was a British photographer of Spanish ancestry and was deeply intertwined with the legendary Keith Richards, guitarist of the Rolling Stones, as he served as Richards’ assistant for eight years.
Sanchez was one of the Rolling Stones’ two official photographers, along with Michael Cooper for The Stones in the Park free outdoor festival held in London’s Hyde Park on 5 July 1969.
His introduction to the Rolling Stones came through his connection with the art dealer Robert Fraser. According to Keith Richards, Sanchez, who had been a croupier and bouncer, was able to help Fraser when he was in trouble with gambling debts and became Fraser’s personal assistant/drug dealer.
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In 2000, Tony Sanchez passed away. And until recently, these pictures, taken during his unique access to the Stones, The Beatles, and the entire ‘60s pop scene, remained hidden away in boxes in a loft in Biggin Hill, southeast London.
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“Spanish Tony Media is a family-run business formed in 2021, in London. The business was set up with the sole purpose of promoting the collection of photographs, videos, and audio tapes taken by Tony Sanchez in the 1970s. Many of these artifacts will never have been seen before by the public and are of considerable historical importance in Pop Culture.”
Oak Island Gallery is proud to be the first gallery in Sweden to show Spanish Tony's photographs!
thom lukas
At the age of 12, Thom Lukas in New York, developed an enduring love for music that would lead him on a remarkable journey. His curiosity to be in the midst of the music scene drove him to sneak into live shows, often finding himself backstage. In October 1964, he pulled off a daring feat by infiltrating the Ed Sullivan Show Studio to witness The Rolling Stones’ debut appearance on the iconic program.
Thom’s affection for rock music continued to grow, and at the age of fifteen in 1968, he purchased a second-hand 35mm camera. The first time Thom pointed his camera at a musical artist marked a historic moment in rock history.
Recalling that moment, Thom explains:
- “On March 8, 1968, Bill Graham opened up the Fillmore East just a few blocks south of my high school, and I went there that night to photograph Janis Joplin, who was then with Big Brother and the Holding Company. I was ecstatic when I developed my photos and witnessed the magic I could create with a camera. I was officially hooked, and a few weeks later, I began capturing bands such as The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, and The Who.”
Upon completing his college education, Thom returned to his true passion. In the mid-1970s, he wielded his camera to immortalize artists like the Sex Pistols, Elvis Costello, REM, The Police, and many other musical icons.
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Oak Island Gallery is proud to be the first gallery in the world to show Thom Lukas' photographs!
torbjörn calvero
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Torbjörn Calvero, a visionary Swedish photographer, left a mark on the world of rock ‘n’ roll photography during his 40-year-long career. He published his very first photograph in 1966, and in 1970, his collaboration with Metronome Records opened doors to capture images for all major record labels, contributing to over 100 album covers. His adventures took him to different corners of the world, including England, Germany, and the USA, and one of the highlights of his career was capturing the Led Zeppelin concert at Earls Court in London.
Among the performers immortalized through Torbjörn’s camera were iconic figures such as The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Patti Smith, Bob Marley, Emmylou Harris, Marianne Faithfull, Cornelis Vreeswijk, Fred Åkerström, ABBA, Ulf Lundell, Roxette, Thomas Ledin, Pugh Rogefeldt, and many more.
Torbjörn was a genuine music lover, and his love for music radiated through every photograph. His images were not merely photographs but painted canvases, often drawing comparisons to the Rembrandt of photography.
Many of his iconic pictures were captured on stage, but some also revealed more private moments, like the cherished image of Patti Smith at Hotel Diplomat.
As he tragically passed away far too young in 2016, the world is left with only a limited number of signed copies of his remarkable work. But Torbjörn Calvero’s legacy lives on, etched in the memories and iconic images he left behind, and he will forever be remembered for his contribution to the world of music and photography.
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torleif svensson
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Torleif Svensson is a Swedish photographer with over 30 years of professional experience in the field. His passion for music led him to capture the energy of rock concerts for many years. However, it was Queen’s last tour in the summer of 1986 that truly inspired Svensson’s obsession with capturing the magic of live performances.
Svensson initially ventured into rock photography after pretending to be a press photographer at a Depeche Mode concert in London in 1984. Remarkably, he was granted access right next to the stage, kicking off his fascinating journey as a rock photographer.
The Depeche Mode concert also marked the start of an eventful week during which Svensson photographed five world-famous artists, including Queen. However, what seemed like a great beginning sadly took a negative turn when Svensson’s rental car was broken into, resulting in the loss of all the film rolls from that week in London. Instead of breaking him, this setback fueled Svensson’s determination to capture new images, particularly of Queen.
In 1986, he got a second chance when Queen was set to perform at a rock festival in Montreux. This time, he was prepared with 100 rolls of film and managed to secure accreditation. Standing right up front, he shot the very last shots of The King of Rock as he pulled off his crown and took his final leave of 120,000 screaming fans (or maybe even closer to 200,000).
This historic moment went down as one of Queen’s finest performances, and it was only later that everyone realized it was their last. In his book “Queen - The Last Tour,” Svensson shares his story of how this concert and the theft of his first set of shots inspired his photographic journey.
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ed finnell
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Ed Finnell was born in Los Angeles in 1956. He learned photography at an early age on family trips to California’s National Parks when he joined his dad on photo hikes to waterfalls, lakes, and rock formations.
As he hit his teenage years he started listening to rock and roll music and when the Rolling Stones toured in 1972 he was lucky enough to get seats. He took his camera with him and managed to capture some good shots and was hooked. By the time 1972 had ended he had shot the Stones, Leon Russell, Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull and many others. Between 1973 and 1975 he photographed every major band coming to Los Angeles.
His break came in 1976 when a friend of his opened a rehearsal space on the old sound stages of Columbia Motion Pictures. On these sound stages, major bands could fit their stage, lights, and P.A to rehearse upcoming tours. Here he was able to meet bands who would buy his photos to use for promotion in their tour programs. Then they would hire him to shoot LA shows, that later grew to shooting California shows and soon he was touring with bands, photographing whole tours.
Ed’s photos have been seen worldwide in books, magazines, tour programs, newspapers, and television. He has many album and CD covers to his credit and has done many gallery shows in Europe and the United States. His work has graced four Rolling Stones albums. As a matter of fact, he has photographed every Stones tour from 1972 through 2022.
Ed can still be found at various shows upfront with his camera. As Ed himself says; “I’m still trying to capture that perfect shot.”
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