Instamatic Karma: Photographs of John Lennon by May Pang

From the Publisher

“There were times I was a bit reticent in taking out my camera, like when some ‘old friends' stopped by to hang out. I didn't want to intrude on these moments, but John insisted.  He felt that I captured him in ways that no one else did because of his comfort level with me…For years, only my closest friends got to see these photos—which were literally tucked away in a shoebox in my closet.  They were surprised that these images did not convey the John that was portrayed in the press during our time together.  In fact, they saw a side of John seldom seen.”—From INSTAMATIC KARMA

John Lennon is the most famously photographed Beatle—everyone from Iain MacMillian to Annie Lebowitz took iconic images of him—but there have never been pictures of him like these taken by May Pang, Lennon's girlfriend from 1973 to 1975. In INSTAMATIC KARMA, they're collected for the first time.  With very few exceptions, these photos are that rare thing: never-before-seen images of an icon.  The photos here show Lennon in a variety of settings: at work, at play, at home, and away. They show a playful Lennon, a casual, unguarded Lennon; they're the kind of photos one lover takes of another. May has written rich captions to accompany her photos--taken together, they tell a simple story of the time May and Lennon spent together; a time, according to legend, when Lennon was unhappy and unproductive, estranged from his family and bandmates. Pang's photos clearly tell another story—they show Lennon clowning around, working on his hit album “Walls and Bridges”, embracing old friends and family, hanging out in theirapartment on Manhattan's East 52nd Street, relaxing in the country in upstate New York or spending peaceful days swimming in the waters of Long Island.

The photographs in INSTAMATIC KARMA are both color and black & white, casual Polaroids and more composed shots.  Each one is an intimate glimpse into a fascinating time in John Lennon's life.

The Washington Post - James Rosen

…a coffee table collection of private snapshots recovered from a shoebox in [Pang's] closet. A visual complement to Loving John, Pang's 1983 memoir, Instamatic Karma bursts with intimate and previously unpublished images of the ex-Beatle in his early 30s: a vibrant, muscular character forever clowning or lounging, equally comfortable in Pang's embroidered bell bottoms, snug swimming trunks and his own skin.

Sybil Kollappallil <P>Copyright &copy; Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. - School Library Journal

As the personal assistant to John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Pang earned the respect and love of the couple for whom she worked. This respect eventually turned into a complicated, though very clearly authentic, romantic relationship between Pang and Lennon. The relationship-which Pang claims was encouraged by Ono during Ono and Lennon's temporary separation-is documented through several surprisingly candid photographs taken by the author during her time with the former Beatle. Of note is the fact that Pang was able to capture both the mundane (Lennon sailing with his son Julian and the author on Long Island Sound) and the monumental (Lennon signing the legal papers that would bring the Beatles to its official end), yet treat each moment with the same amount of affection and admiration with thoughtful, detailed anecdotes throughout the book. Through over 150 photographs, Pang captures a sense of both Lennon's love of America and her own deep affection for Lennon. The collection ultimately works as a heartfelt portrait and rare glimpse into the world of one of the most influential musicians in pop culture history. Highly recommended.

Customer Reviews

Number of Reviews: 2
Average Rating:
Write a Review

Product Details

• ISBN: 031237741X
  
• ISBN-13: 9780312377410
• Format: Hardcover, 160pp
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Pub. Date: March 2008
• Sales Rank: 10,926