A photographer is showcasing his work in an art exhibition in his hometown.

Hexham-based photographer John Parker is pleased to unveil his exhibition 'Available Light' at Queen's Hall.

The collection of never before seen photographs is now on display and features iconic performers and bands from the 1970’s and 80’s.

John first began taking photographs as a child in the early 1960’s with some of his earliest images being of the North East, captured with a camera from the 1920’s. He later progressed to 35mm and, after getting involved with Nottingham-based fanzine Way Ahead and a London-based TV company, captured performances by artists ranging from Van Morrison to Siouxsie and the Banshees.

Hexham Courant:
John said: "When I first approached Queen's Hall Hexham with the idea of a possible show, the absolute limit of my aspiration was to have fifteen to twenty of my images on the wall for three or four weeks.

"To reach the point where a substantial show, which has been professionally curated and produced, will be running for nearly three months is way beyond anything I had imagined.

"It has been a real pleasure to work intensively with Queen's Hall on the development and delivery of the show, and I hope that visitors will enjoy seeing the images and be reminded of the unique buzz of a live music event. My measure of success will be if someone visiting the show is overtaken by the urge to book tickets for a performance - regardless of the genre of music or the age of the performer. On a more personal level, I guess that sharing the images in a public space validates the many hours I have spent hunched over a laptop and scanner in recent years!"

To celebrate the opening of Available Light, Queen’s Hall are inviting people to share their memorable gig pictures on social media using #AvailableLightQH for the chance to have their work featured in the exhibition and to win two free tickets to a show of their choice later this year. The winner will be chosen by John when the exhibition closes in April.


Katy Taylor, Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Queen’s Hall Arts said: “We have loved working with John and are delighted to help him finally share his collection in an exhibition that does his work justice - and in such an apt building! We know our audiences will be inspired by these amazing images whether they are coming specifically to see the exhibition or are taking a look before a performance.”

The exihibition runs until Saturday 29 April in Queen’s Hall’s Gallery One and Two.