A Life Behind the Lens

The Gallery is proud to present a photographic retrospective of the career of the internationally renowned artist, Paul Joyce.

Joyce spent his childhood in Hampshire before building a global reputation as a documentary filmmaker, writer, photographer and painter.

To celebrate his life and work, and to mark his 80th birthday, A Life Behind the Lens brings together a selection of exceptional portraits, first shown over 40 years ago in London, Paris, New York and beyond. The commentary accompanying each image gives an insight into Joyce’s illustrious career and the abundance of talent and persuasiveness that made his portraits of ‘the good, the bad and the beautiful’ possible. He has enjoyed a particularly close relationship with artist David Hockney, who has drawn and photographed Joyce on many occasions.

As well as many famous and well-known faces, the exhibition includes a number of stunning photographic landscape works, paintings, collaborations and portfolios from the past five decades.

The exhibition is curated by Colin Ford CBE, former director of the National Museum of Wales. He curated Joyce’s first London exhibition, Elders, at the National Portrait Gallery in 1978.