THE PHOTOGRAPHY OF RENNIE ELLIS | NO STANDING, ONLY DANCING
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Bon Scott & Angus Young, Atlanta, GA 1978 — Image by © 2011 Rennie Ellis Photographic Archive
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Australian photographer Rennie Ellis (1940-2003), manifested his lust for life in the incredibly raw and titillating images of ’70s & ’8os that perfectly capture the heyday of Rock ‘n’ Roll rebellion, sexual experimentation, high fashion & tomfoolery. He eagerly exposed the gritty and honest underbelly of the times with an insider’s candor that is both magical and mesmerizing. A familiar fixture on the party scene, Rennie was widely accepted in social circles that placed him squarely in the middle of the action where he thrived on the energy– and always got the shots he wanted.
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Dino Ferrari, Toorak Road 1976 – Image by © 2011 Rennie Ellis Photographic Archive
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“The thing with Rennie was that he was always having fun and would never miss an opportunity to take a photo. I remember being at Rennie’s 38th birthday in Prahran when the police turned up for a noise compliant. We were all pretty smashed and our natural reaction was to stop and be quiet. Not Rennie though. We saw him take a girl outside and start taking pictures of her sitting on the police car. He just wanted to get that shot. And, from what I can recall, the police stuck around for a few drinks too. That’s how people reacted to Rennie—everyone just instinctively felt comfortable around him.”
–Rennie’s old friend Jenny Bannister
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MC, Paradise Club, Kings Cross 1970-71 – Image by © 2011 Rennie Ellis Photographic Archive
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Mr. Australia, Inflation Melbourne 1980 – Image by © 2011 Rennie Ellis Photographic Archive
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Lady Medina, The Ritz 1977 – Image by © 2011 Rennie Ellis Photographic Archive
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AC/DC, Atlanta, Georgia 1978 – Image by © 2011 Rennie Ellis Photographic Archive
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Jude’s Tongue 1978 – Image by © 2011 Rennie Ellis Photographic Archive
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Jenny Bannister Shell Bikinis, Chai Parade 1978 – Image by © 2011 Rennie Ellis Photographic Archive
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Tattoos, New York 1976 – Image by © 2011 Rennie Ellis Photographic Archive
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Sheiks Disco, Melbourne 1981 – Image by © 2011 Rennie Ellis Photographic Archive
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Night People, Middle Park 1975 – Image by © 2011 Rennie Ellis Photographic Archive
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At the Pub, Brisbane 1982 – Image by © 2011 Rennie Ellis Photographic Archive
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Lindy Hobbs, Surfing World, Lorne c.1968 – Image by © 2011 Rennie Ellis Photographic Archive
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Union Jack, Lorne c.1968 – Image by © 2011 Rennie Ellis Photographic Archive
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Surfer boys & girls, Lorne, 1975 – Image by © 2011 Rennie Ellis Photographic Archive
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Fitzroy Extrovert, 1974 – Image by © 2011 Rennie Ellis Photographic Archive
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Cab Driver, Kings Cross 1970-71 – Image by © 2011 Rennie Ellis Photographic Archive
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No Standing Only Dancing 1974 – Image by © 2011 Rennie Ellis Photographic Archive
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I absolutely love all of these images!!!
I do I do I do
Great shots! That first Bon and Angus is amazing! I sure did miss TSY! So glad to see you posting again. Thank you!
FAVORITE! http://theselvedgeyard.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/cab_driver_kings_cross_1970_71.jpg
angus is wearing a t-shirt with angus on it. awesome. he probably orders the angus burger when he’s at BK.
i simply can not pick a favorite…
xoxo
Good eye, well done. Those who enjoy street photography should check out Vivian Maier as well; soon to be HUGE.
As a 24 year old Aussie I’ve always thought Australia in the 70s and early 80s must have been like Berlin in the Twenties. This wild, debauched period full of uniquely archetypal Aussie characters. Thanks TSY for honoring this time with these great images.
Love it!
Photo of Bon & Angus is the stuff of legend!
Bon is gone, but Angus rocks on!
First photo:
Hey momma, look at me,
I’m on my way to the promised land…
LOL, that cab driver looks like Al Davis.
Oh yeah, Oz in the 70′s….iconic images that reflect the times, they really were great. I wish I had a photo of Bon back in 69 playing with the Valentines in Geelong, matching ruffle shirts the whole bit! The cabbie is classic……and the guy hanging out of the Valiant, all great.
Bon Scott just might be the greatest front man of all time. “Stick this in yer fuse box”
WORD!
If you like rennie, you might also like Carol Jerrems, a wonderful Australian photographer recently given a retrospective at Heidi Gallery (Melbourne) alongside works by Larry Clark and Nan Goldin. Rennie was an early fan of her work and showed it at his gallery.
Thanks always enjoy your posts. Jim, Australia.
Outstanding pics! Thanks for sharing.
Rennie was a legend, Im 46 and a fairly serious amateur photographer and have been a fan since my early teens. Hi is truely the Australian “Cartier Bresson” capturing the “moment” perfctly. These photo’s take me back to my childhood and adolesence. Sheer brilliance.
fuking sweet. good damn job man. i mean too much scotch, too much sushi, but really those are really nice “images” (life is good!)
looked at angus young again, i’m tearful . . . . . . . tearlul.
what a wonderful world we live in!