Oasis Print Collection Auctioned

New set sale revealed

A series of evocative prints of Oasis in their Britpop pomp are set to be auctioned soon by Christie’s.

Try as they might, Oasis cannot escape the magnetic pull of their mid 90s glory. Despite replacing the entire band, the Gallaghers are continually reminded of their effortless rise to fame, more than a decade on from the release of ‘Definitely Maybe’.

Perhaps it was their visual appeal. The band’s blend of Mod and Casual fashion both echoed and influenced street fashion, with Liam Gallagher in particular becoming an idol to almost an entire generation.

Photographer Jill Formanovsky was granted permission to shoot the band on an almost daily basis. As Oasis toured the world she was there, with her lens recording some pivotal moments in the band’s history.

Gathered as the collection ‘Was There Then’ an exhibition in 1997 showed her work to the world. Formanovsky seemed capable of capturing unique moments of chemistry within the band, focussing on the dynamic relationship between the Gallaghers.

Now images from that collection are set to be auctioned by Christie’s in London. Containing twenty two images the set are all original prints from Furmanovsky’s ground-breaking ‘Was There Then’ exhibition originally shown in the Roundhouse London and Tramway in Glasgow in 1997.

The new collection comes with a program signed by the band themselves, as well as a copy of the book ‘Oasis Was There Then’ which is long out of print.

The massive prints result in one of the most complete photographic documents of Oasis available. With a reserve price of £16,500 this may well be out of the price range of most fans, but we can dream can’t we?

Discussing her work with Oasis the photographer said of Noel Gallagher that “I think both Gallaghers are extremely attractive in different ways, but Noel is looking seriously like Steve McQueen or Paul Newman these days. Very strong face, very direct gaze – a man not a boy”.

Also in the sale is an A0 Iris print of Pink Floyd’s The Wall 1980, and a silver gelatin fibre print of Johnny Ramone and Johnny Rotten circa 1977.

Jill Furmanovsky’s vintage Oasis print collection is due to be sold by Christie’s in London on July 1st.

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