At first the thought occurred that most Dubliners might have viewed the Rolling Stones as a fossil best left to archeologists, and the result of their excavations to be put on display in a museum rather than an art gallery.
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| Andy Farron, Sean Walsh and Susan Kennedy at the Zozimus exhibition |
The few who gathered early at Gallery Zozimus, 56 Francis Street, Dublin seemed just as interested in the magnificent array of art works stored there as they did in the evening's feature exhibition, the Rolling Stones Centenary Exhibition 'Charlie is my Darling’. By the night's end the spartan crowd was a heaving mass, their numbers more suited to a rock concert than an art exhibition. And none were complaining that they could get no satisfaction.
The group, even with photos taken as far back as 1965, was still a crowd puller. The editor of Hotpress Magazine, Niall Stoked opened the exhibition, revealing his admiration for the Stones while admitting that he had been a Beatles fan. He outlined how the Stones brought the music of black Harlem to white Dublin at a time when the cultural melting pot was not as cosmopolitan as it is in today's multicultural climes. Susan Kennedy the current director of Lensmen which created the images five decades ago took the floor after Niall and warmly thanked all who had made the event possible. She singled out the original Lensmen pioneer Andy Farron whose attendance prompted a warm round of applause.
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| Susan Kennedy and Sean Walsh with an image from the Zozimus exhibition |
This specialized Lensmen Collection will remain on display continue at the Zozimus until Saturday 23rd March next. If you were not there last night, there is still time. Don't be left a fool to cry. Make an evening of it and spend a night together in the illustrious company of one of the world's renowned rock groups.
