LEGENDARY DICK
Iconic portraits from the 1960’s & 1970’s
Dick Polak’s extensive photographic archive provides an intimate glimpse into the vibrant lives of some of the most iconic movers and shakers from the culturally transformative decades of the 1960s and 1970s.
Dick was born and raised in the vibrant and culturally rich city of Amsterdam, where he became deeply immersed in the burgeoning Dutch film industry of the 1950’s. During these formative years working as a camera assistant, Dick honed his skills in cinematography and storytelling, gaining invaluable experience and insights into the craft which would lay the foundations down for his growth as a photographer in later years.
In 1966, seeking new opportunities and creative challenges, he decided to move to London to break into the UK film scene. However, during his first few days in London, a chance encounter with a considerable amount of the conversation being lost in translation, led someone to mistakenly take Dick as a professional portrait photographer. Keen for work, and not wanting to lose the opportunity, he quickly borrowed a Leica camera from an old friend, loaded it with Infra-Red film, and never looked back. This was the start of his remarkable photographic journey.
Over the next decade, Dick became a much-in-demand photographer within the vibrant and ever-evolving music and film industries, predominantly working in London, but often travelling through Europe to cities such as Rome, Berlin, and Paris. His notable contributions to the field of film include capturing iconic moments on sets for cult classics and historically influential works such as Jean Luc Godard’s revolutionary film One Plus One, Luchino Visconti’s harrowing drama The Damned, and Mick Jagger’s avant-garde production Performance, as well as being approached by filmmaker Stanley Kubrick to shoot a series of promotional pictures for the controversial film A Clockwork Orange. In 1968, Dick was invited by Mick Jagger to photograph the filming of The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus, where he captured some if his most iconic images of the time along side Michael Lindsay-Hogg, and Michael Randolf.
During this prolific and creative period, Dick was also engaged extensively by Chris Blackwell and Island Records, shooting intimate rehearsal sessions with Ringo Starr, George Harrison, Billy Preston, and worked on several album covers with Jim Capaldi, and Steve Winwood of Traffic. He also accompanied Marc Bolan & T.Rex, Cat Stevens, and various other bands on tours across Europe and the United States.
Working as a photographer during this period led Dick to develop long lasting and meaningful relationships with many of the people he photographed, blurring the lines between photographer and friend, hanging out more than shooting enabled him to capture some remarkably relaxed and candid material. Dick and his wife Edina went on to become an integral part of London’s swinging sixties, in particular the vibrant ‘happening’ scene that defined the era, photographing and documenting some of the most prominent rock stars, fashion designers, actors, and writers of the time.
This unwavering dedication and passion for his craft resulted in the creation of an extensive and remarkable body of work that offers a deeply intimate and revealing glimpse into the lives and times of some of the most iconic movers and shakers from the unforgettable 1960s and 1970s.
“It’s said that if you can remember the Sixties you can’t have been there... The photographer Dick Polak was not only there but he had his camera as proof, helping memorialise the times.”
— Mick Brown
“Dick’s old pics are great! He was always there snapping away but you never saw him. He likes a good drink and a good laugh, Dick’s OK, you can tell from his photos.”
— Ronnie Wood
“It was a long time ago that I worked with Dick but I remember those sessions in Rome very well. We drove all around town and got out of the car when we felt like it and took pictures in the Forum and other great buildings…. nothing ever formal or posed, I just did what I felt like and Dick would take pictures, really easy, great memories.”
— Charlotte Rampling
“Dickie was around a lot in those days… actually he was around so much he sort of became part of the scene of what was going on in rehearsals in the studio. Doing shoots with him was easy, he was just there and you never had to pose or anything.”
— Steve Winwood
“It’s about time Dick’s photographs from the 60s are exhibited... He’s been keeping them to himself for far too long.”
— John Barry