Mick Rock
Photographer
Mick Rock (1948-2021) was an influential photographer whose work straddled the 20th and 21st centuries.
From 1982 onwards, Rock - who was born in London - based himself in New York, staying there until his death in 2021. Considered as one of the most successful music photographers, Rock was commonly referred to as ‘The Man Who Shot the Seventies.’
Allegedly, Rock’s introduction to photography started with him picking up a camera while on an acid trip at a house party in the 60s, leading him to discover his love of image-making. His first known photographic subject was Syd Barrett, and later subjects included David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Queen, The Sex Pistols, The Ramones, Blondie and Lou Reed, for whom he was the official photographer. Rock also designed legendary album covers including the Space Oddity album by David Bowie (1969), Lou Reed’s Transformer (1972) and Iggy Pop and The Stooges’ Raw Power (1972).
Rock received the Diesel U Music Legends award for his contribution to music in 2006 and is known to have collaborated on numerous books with some of rock's biggest names; in 2015 he worked with Taschen Books on The Rise of David Bowie, 1972-1973, which would become their fastest selling book to date. In 2016 Rock explored his past and present, from London's glam rock to New York's snarling punk scene in a documentary called SHOT! The Psycho-Spiritual Mantra of Rock.
Rock died in November, 2021.
Mick Rock (1948-2021) was an influential photographer whose work straddled the 20th and 21st centuries.
From 1982 onwards, Rock - who was born in London - based himself in New York, staying there until his death in 2021. Considered as one of the most successful music photographers, Rock was commonly referred to as ‘The Man Who Shot the Seventies.’
Allegedly, Rock’s introduction to photography started with him picking up a camera while on an acid trip at a house party in the 60s, leading him to discover his love of image-making. His first known photographic subject was Syd Barrett, and later subjects included David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Queen, The Sex Pistols, The Ramones, Blondie and Lou Reed, for whom he was the official photographer. Rock also designed legendary album covers including the Space Oddity album by David Bowie (1969), Lou Reed’s Transformer (1972) and Iggy Pop and The Stooges’ Raw Power (1972).
Rock received the Diesel U Music Legends award for his contribution to music in 2006 and is known to have collaborated on numerous books with some of rock's biggest names; in 2015 he worked with Taschen Books on The Rise of David Bowie, 1972-1973, which would become their fastest selling book to date. In 2016 Rock explored his past and present, from London's glam rock to New York's snarling punk scene in a documentary called SHOT! The Psycho-Spiritual Mantra of Rock.
Rock died in November, 2021.
