Jimi Hendrix Experience - Image by Karl Ferris
Karl Ferris grew up in
Hastings, England in the 1950s. Ferris became interested in art at a young age
studying at Hastings College of Art, focusing on Pre-Raphaelite painting, which
later influenced his photographic style of the 1960s. After serving two years
with the RAF as an aerial photographer he moved into fashion, shooting for 19,
French Mode, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue. Ferris’s most notable
collection of photographs are those capturing Jimi Hendrix and The Jimi Hendrix
Experience in what is now known as a psychedelic style. Hendrix invited Ferris
to shoot a US version of his album ‘Are You Experienced?’ where upon Ferris
began experimenting with colour and lens applications. The use of a fisheye
lens and infrared film created a never before seen effect that landed Ferris
his first exhibition with Kodak London. He went on to shoot a variety of
Hendrix albums as well as a selection for Donovan and The Hollie. Now based in
Ibiza, Ferris has moved into film directing and producing. In anticipation of
his 2013 book publication, Proud Camden presents The Karl Ferris Psychedelic
Experience to conclude 2012.
Karl Ferris is known as
“the Innovator of Psychedelic Photography”. A photographer to the “British Rock
Elite” – Eric Clapton, Cream, Donovan, The Hollies and Jimi Hendrix – Ferris
was invited as their personal photographer to create their “Images”. He was
given an insider access to the “Experience” that defined the 60’s and the
world.
He grew up in Hastings,
England in the late 50s where he learned an appreciation of art, having a
showing of his early paintings at the Hastings Museum. He later went on to
study at Hastings College of Art focusing on the Pre-Raphaelite style of
painting which would later influence his psychedelic photography of the 60’s.
After school and with dreams of traveling to India, Ferris signed up as a
steward on a P&O liner that went to Australia via India. After returning to
England he served two years with the Royal Air Force for his National Service
(Conscription) as an Aerial photographer. During this period he became friends
with a fellow conscriptee, who was a member of a Liverpool Mersey Beat group,
and he was introduced for the first time to this type of music. He was invited
back to Liverpool to see a new group – The Beatles – who were appearing at the
Cavern club and was introduced to them. He was then hooked on “Beat” music from
which the Beatles took their name.
After his military service, Ferris immigrated to
Vancouver, Canada working as an assistant to master photographer Harold Nygard.
From him Karl learned the skills of composition, form and texture. He also
began an involvement in the “Beatnik” lifestyle and began hanging out in
“coffee bars” listening to poetry readings and progressive jazz of such artists
as Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, John Coletrane and Ornette Coleman. He shot his
first music subjects at these gatherings for local newspapers and magazines. He
also began to take fashion shots of girl friends and models, building up a
Portfolio. Nygard told him that he had a real talent in this, but should return
to London where the Mod Fashion scene was going on.
In 1964 Karl returned to England and the happening Beat scene. Ferris received commissioned work as a fashion photographer for Teen magazine “19” and later Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, French Mode and Marie Claire. These commissions brought him to such locations as Paris, Cannes, Munich, Ibiza and Morocco. When he wasn’t working he would join into the “Scene”, after meeting up (and eventually dating) Denmark’s Top Superstar model of the time, Karl was introduced to a Pop group called the “ The King Bees” who invited him to sing “Rolling Stones” cover songs with them, so he began touring in and around Copenhagen doing this.
In 1964 Karl returned to England and the happening Beat scene. Ferris received commissioned work as a fashion photographer for Teen magazine “19” and later Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, French Mode and Marie Claire. These commissions brought him to such locations as Paris, Cannes, Munich, Ibiza and Morocco. When he wasn’t working he would join into the “Scene”, after meeting up (and eventually dating) Denmark’s Top Superstar model of the time, Karl was introduced to a Pop group called the “ The King Bees” who invited him to sing “Rolling Stones” cover songs with them, so he began touring in and around Copenhagen doing this.
He eventually returned to England for a “shoot” offer with Vogue. The Beatles had just released “ Rubber Soul” and Karl had the chance to meet up with their official photographer, Robert Freeman, who encouraged Ferris to experiment with different styles of images – which he promptly did – in his unique psychedelic style. On a trip to the Spanish island of “Ibiza” he met and began shooting the “Fool” – Simon and Marijke’s Innovative Psychedelic Fashion designs. They were eventually printed in the fashion section of the London times. This was the first time such psychedelic photography and fashions had been seen anywhere. He and the Fool were invited to come to London to shoot some more “Psychedelic” fashion features.
The fool Collective
From this Ferris received many commissions. He also began working on “Psychedelic Happening shows” combining projections of colored liquid and photographs over freeform dancers. The likes of Paul McCartney, Graham Nash, Eric Clapton, T Rex, Pink Floyd and John Lennon dropped by and began participating, by playing music, with these shows. Ferris was also invited to do a stage light show for Pink Floyd, which is believed to be the first one ever done in England in 1966.
Ferris met with Jimi Hendrix in 1967 through Chas Chandler, who “discovered” Hendrix. Karl received the compliment of a lifetime when Hendrix remarked to him, on seeing his portfolio, “You‘re doing with photography what I’m doing with music – going far out beyond the limits”. Hendrix then asked Ferris to be his photographer and to re-shoot the UK version of the album ”Are You Experienced” for the US market.
Karl began experimenting, and using a giant Nikon fisheye lens and a secret Infrared film that had just been released by the military, who had used it for U2 plane spying. He created the famous photograph used for Jimi’s first US record album cover, which he also designed. His images appeared on all three US Album covers released during Hendrix’s short life, “Are You Experienced”, “Axis Bold As Love” and “Electric Ladyland”.
Karl also created the Album cover images for Donovan’s “Gift From A Flower To A Garden”, “Wear Your Love Like Heaven”, For The Little Ones” and “Hurdy Gurdy Donovan” and for The Hollies’ “Evolution”. He was also instrumental in creating their “Images” for the shoots, which then became their recognized public image.During the years 1967-69, Karl Ferris was one of the preferred photographers to the British Rock elite, shooting also many PR photos for them.
Apple boutique, 1967
In 2003 Ferris began his quest to re-visit a time in music that defined a generation with, “The Ferris Experience” Happening. Exhibiting the famous Record Album cover photographs and a Psychedelic multimedia video and slide show, opening in Vancouver, Canada at The Exhibitions Gallery . It was be the first time in 35 years that such an exhibition had been unveiled. In 2005, Karl’s Happening show and photo gallery exhibit began a tour of major cities in the USA starting with the San Francisco Art Exchange (continuing in Toronto and other cities in 2006).
Also in 2006, a filmed documentary called “Psychedelic Revolution – The Karl Ferris Experience” went into production. To watch this 17-minute documentary on YouTube, please click on the following link: VIDEO
In 2008, books of his Hendrix and Donovan photographs (including DVDs) will be published.
We highly recommend you watch a TV news report on “The Karl Ferris Experience” as shown on You Tube. It runs approx. 17 minutes and includes an interview with Karl with details about his first meetings with The Hollies, Jimi Hendrix, and others.
As told to me by Marijke, one of the components of The Fool Collective, Karl Ferris was the only authorized photographer to take images of The Cream with The FOOL Gibson SG in 1967:
Credits: http://www.mrmusichead.com and http://proudonline.co.uk
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BOB MASSE, creator of the CREAM posters, using Karl Ferris photographs.
psychedelic era to create eye-popping yet elegantly stylized art-nouveau designs distinguished by their fluid linework and intricate figures. A native of Burnaby, British Columbia, he began drawing as a child, regularly competing against his cousin to determine who could sketch the most images of Bugs Bunny; Mad magazine was also a profound influence, and he copied each new issue from start to finish. As a teen, Masse earned spending money during the holidays by creating cardboard Santas and decorating windows for his neighbors; he later painted pinstripes and flames on cars, even producing Big Daddy Roth-styled monster t-shirts for his school friends.
After graduation, Masse went on to attend art school in Vancouver; a fixture at local coffeehouses, he was eventually tapped to illustrate posters advertising upcoming folk music performances, among them a date by a then-unknown Bob Dylan (whose name Masse accidentally misspelled "Dylon").
With the
rise of folk-rock, Vancouver played host to concerts from the Grateful Dead,
the Jefferson Airplane and the Steve Miller Band, with Masse contributing increasingly psychedelicized artwork for
their appearances; in 1966, he travelled to San Francisco, with a revelatory
journey to the Haight-Ashbury district as well as direct contact with the
poster art of the Fillmore and the Family Dog exerting a profound influence on
his own subsequent work. Returning to Vancouver, Masse befriended the local band the Collectors, and when they traveled to Los Angeles to make a record he followed, spending the final years of the 1960s living in the Laurel Canyon area and hanging out with the Jefferson Airplane, Big Brother & the Holding Company, and Taj Mahal. As 1969 drew to a close he went back to Vancouver, producing a series of posters for local venues including the Retinal Circus, Moose Valley Farms and Gassy Jack's; as the 1970s dawned, he turned to commercial work, illustrating for McDonalds, the Expo Space Station, CP Air and countless others. Masse additionally designed numerous business logos, among them a ubiquitous orange-furred fox for radio station C-FOX which is among his most long-lived and enduring creations.
During the 1980s, Masse's focus turned to Hollywood, as he created posters for smash films including Total Recall and Back to the Future III; he also worked on the television series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. As rock concert art began to enjoy a surge in popularity during the following decade, however, Masse returned to the medium with renewed force, producing a steady stream of posters for the first time since the 1970s. Creating lush visuals which incorporated the psychedelic spirit of his previous work while at the same capturing the essence of his contemporary subjects, Masse produced memorably beautiful posters advertising appearances by latter-day stars including the Smashing Pumpkins, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tori Amos and Alanis Morissette.
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