Jane Birkin, Warhol, Mick Jagger, Polaroid

Jane Birkin needs little or no introduction at all I am sure, amongst those of us who are interested in cinema and music; she has been famous in both fields for decades, and still going strong. She broke into the pop world with a song censored, and with her at that time (70's) scandalized and outlawed nakedness in public. Together with Serge Gainsbourg, her partner both in music and bed, she was immortalized in 7 invaluable Polaroid shots viewable in the Internet, as a reminder of lost youth era for all nostalgic souls.

These photos of Jane is today double news, for Spain triple, because it's also the memento or souvenir of the final destiny of this amazing instant camera, at it's time more magical and had caused far more historic excitement than the digital when it first came on the market. It had also definitely given the never before days of glory to the pop culture. But, all good things come to an end. Due to the unstoppable digital technology, this little much loved camera had reached it's sell-by date. So announced the Corporation Polaroid, closing up all their factories in Massachusetts, Mexico and Holland in 2008'

For the many devoted amateurs, fans, and collectors of relics, the search had started for anything in any way connected to this incredible little machine. It's in a way more than a mere camera, it carries very interesting stories of the pop and movie world, forming part of their history and a record of many unforgettable moments, turning some into immortal pop art.

Famous artists and photographers like Robert Mapple Thorpe, Helmut Newton, David Hockney and Andy Warhol have used it to capture the images before they transformed them into paintings or other forms of art. Many of those exhibited in the Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh were results of Warhol's art based on the the Polaroid pictures.

The one of Mick Jagger taken by him in 1975 reached $15,600 few year back. In one of the many episodes of the popular TV series, the "Love Boat", the artist appeared taking photos of passengers by the swimming pool, and wandered about on the decks with the Polaroid camera hanging from his neck.

Apparently, even with limitations in the format, it also contains the element of mystery and instant delight in under a minute, with the image in proper photo paper, like the SX-70, the most sought after now by collectors. Totally lack of knowledge and skill, I have to confess a Polaroid was all I could handle. Even simpler than today's instant photo by mobile phone.

Tags:Music,Photography,Polaroid

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