TREVOR KEY

Trevor Key (1947–1995) was a British photographer whose work left a defining mark on the visual culture of popular music. Over a career spanning more than twenty years, his photographs appeared in advertising, editorials and on record covers for some of the most significant artists of the era — among them The Rolling Stones, Mike Oldfield, The Sex Pistols, Peter Gabriel, Roxy Music, Phil Collins, Wham!, Joy Division, New Order and other extraordinary work for Factory Records.

Key was an experimental image-maker – his work is proto-digital, practical photographic magic. Working entirely in analogue, he developed his own techniques and methods, pushing what was physically possible in the studio and darkroom to produce images that were entirely unlike anything being made at the time. Today, in an era when images are digitally manipulated or created entirely by computer processing, Key’s work and methods are still a significant inspiration for creatives all over the world. His work was defined not by adherence to convention but by an inventiveness that has only grown more remarkable with time.