Music Photographer Richard Gray Exhibits Pictures at Charing Cross

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As way of thanking medical team who performed life-changing surgery on his spine

Music photographer Richard Gray is exhibiting his work in Charing Cross Hospital, where he had a life-changing operation.

Richard, who is the house photographer at Bush Hall in Shepherd's Bush returns to Charing Cross Hospital to open a new exhibition, titled London Rocks! Music Venues in the Capital, one year after his surgery.

The show, which features images of artists including Royal Blood, Seal and First Aid Kit on stage, is on show for four months in the Fulham Palace Road hospital before moving up to Hammersmith Hospital in White City until the end of October. The artworks will then be sold to support the hospitals.

Richard says: "I’m delighted to be able to give something back to the medical team at Charing Cross who did such a fantastic job with my surgery."

He consulted doctors at Charing Cross after experiencing tingling in his feet, which developed into weakness in his legs. He was in and out of the hospital for tests and appointments over several months before being warned that his condition could be serious.

In November 2016, neurosurgeons advised a back operation to prevent a damaged thoracic disc affecting his spinal cord. "They warned me that it could get really serious if it wasn’t dealt with," says Richard, who spent five days in hospital. "I could have ended up paralysed from the waist down.

"It was elective surgery but their call was that we should do it. Now I’m glad we did – my legs feel stronger and I’m back to full-time work."

The exhibition, which opens on Thursday 22 March and which also marks the 70th anniversary of the NHS, features such venues as as well as The Lexington, Scala and Brixton Academy.

Other artists featured include The xx, Savages, The Staves, Fat White Family, Ibibio Sound Machine, Father John Misty, British Sea Power and Christine and The Queens.

Lucy Zacaria, Head of Arts at Imperial Health Charity, said: "We aim to change the way visitors experience the hospital environment by transforming clinical settings into bright and uplifting areas.

"We are really excited to bring Richard’s stunning photographs into our hospitals and celebrate London’s live music heritage."

Dirty Three by Richard Gray

You can see more work by Richard, who also tweets @rugfoot, on his website Rugfoot Photography.

March 30, 2018