Paul McCartney's pride in his photographer daughter was there for all to see on Wednesday as he accompanied Mary McCartney to a preview for her latest exhibition, 'Backup'. Invite in hand, he smiled broadly as he arrived at the Oxo Tower on the bank of the Thames. Like many of the guests, his image was to be found hanging on the wall - in Mary's celebrity themed photographs. The Beatles star no doubt searched out the one of him with band U2 preparing to go on stage at London's Live8 concert in 2005.
Popular TV star Sheila Hancock was also there to catch up on her likeness, snapped while the actress was performing in the musical Cabaret at London's Lyric Theatre. Patti Boyd, a keen photographer, and singer Skin were among the other high-profile names checking out the talented 37-year-old's work at the exhibition, which runs until July 8 in aid of the charity Cancerbackup.
Mary, who has taken after her late photographer mum Linda McCartney, is selling 36 of her portraits to raise money to fight breast cancer - the disease she lost her mother to. "As a photographer herself, she was my inspiration," she said of Linda before the event. "I remember looking through her contact sheets as a child and being fascinated. Our styles are similar."
Explaining that Cancerbackup proved a huge support to the family when her mum was diagnosed, Mary says it's a privilege to be able to give something back. "Losing my mother prematurely has had a profound impact on my life in that it has made me appreciate the people around me… If I have one great sadness, it's that my mother never got to meet my two wonderful sons, Arthur, eight, and Elliot, four," she added.
The images are expected to fetch between £1,200 and £5,000 each, and include shots of her designer sister Stella McCartney, actor Jude Law, artist Tracey Emin and ballerina Darcey Bussell.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
