Brian Duffy portrait with permission of the Brian Duffy Archive. www.duffyphotographer.com

In what has been an all too regular type of news article recently, Rob Imhoff writes on the passing of Brian Duffy.

In 1975 I had the pleasure of meeting Brian Duffy at his studio in London. Australian artist Bob Marchant, at the time, the art-director responsible for the Mary Quant account took me to meet Duffy at his Swiss Cottage studio. After being introduced to Duffy's wife June, I moved along a hallway where to my surprise I was greeted by an old friend, Australian born international model, Jill Goodall, Jill had just completed hair, make-up and wardrobe in readiness for a Duffy shoot. On completion of our embrace Jill had to return to have all done again! Duffy was not a happy man and I became known as 'F**k-off Imhoff'. Later that evening Duffy joined Bob and I in the local for a few pints and during conversation Duffy explained to me that David Hemmings role in the 1966 British-Italian film Blow-Up, directed by Michelangelo Antonioni,was based on himself. It soon became obvious that the London trio of photographers known as "Black Trinity" Brian Duffy(1933-2010), David Bailey (1938- ) and Terence Donovan (1936-1996) all played inspirational roles in the scripting of the movie. A movie that had a profound impact on my generation of photographers. Duffy, Bailey and myself crossed path's over the next decade as we photographed various assignments for Singapore Airlines. All for the Singapore based agency Batey Ads. On one memorable occasion, Batey Ads art-director Faie Davis was looking for Duffy, they were in the middle of a job and Duffy had not turned up at the agency for a scheduled appointment. Further enquires revealed that a very "pissed-off" Duffy had decided to returned to London. Duffy was renowned for saying and doing exactly what he thought regardless of the consequences.

Duffy's son Chris best summed up Duffy in an email to me today "Duffy touched the hearts & souls of so many people and that's why his spirit will live on forever. We all owe him a great debt of gratitude for making us think about what we think we think. His genius will now be lost but never forgotten, his legacy will endure forever".

This link to the Telegraph obituary further sums up the man, long live the memory of a great photographer.

 

Author: ACMP Patron - Rob Imhoff