Gallery Visit: Gay Icons, National Portrait Gallery, London.

This exhibition was put together by ten selectors, coordinated by Sandy Toksvig. Each selector is a prominent gay figure in contemporary culture and society. They include: Sandy Toksvig, Washeed Alli, Alan Hollinghurst, Elton John, Jackie Kay, Billie Jean King, Ian McKellan, Chris Smith, Ben Summerskill and Sarah Waters. Each selector had to choose six people, who may or may not be gay, whom they personally regard as inspirational, or an icon for them. These people provide a fascinating range of figures - some heroic, some very famous and some that I had never heard of. They include artists Francis Bacon and David Hockney; writers Daphne du Maurier and Quentin Crisp; composers Pyotr Tchaikovsky and Benjamin Britten, musicians k.d.lang, the Village People and Will Young, entertainers Ellen DeGeneres, Lily Savage and Kenneth Williams; sports stars Martina Navatilova and Ian Roberts and political activists Harvey Milk and Angela Mason. I was also very interested to note that they are not just contemporary personalities but also historical figures - with the proviso that photographs exist. Their diverse and inspirational stories are shown alsonside over sixty portraits by photographers such as Andy Warhol, Lord Snowdon and Cecil Beaton. The portraits of the selectors were all taken by Mary McCartney, daughter of Beatle, Paul. These, in fact were the images that I found most inspirational. All are in colour but vary in style from a formal studio portrait of Elton John to much more informal ones along the lines that I have taken for my first assignment. Interestingly, thinking of the work that I have been doing, most of the subjects have maintained eye contact with the camera although three haven't. I wonder if this was the choice of Mary McCartney or the subject. Fascinating. wether there is eye contact or not definitely affects the atmosphere of the portrait.