MIS celebrates Tina Turner’s career with a photographic exhibition in SP

American singer Tina Turner, who died on Wednesday (24), was more than a musical success. She became a media phenomenon like few artists in her time. A bit of this brilliance and popularity can be seen in the photographic exhibition “Tina Turner: a trip to the future”, at the Museum of Image and Sound (MIS), in São Paulo. The exhibition is on display until the 9th of July.

The singer’s success has always been accompanied by the lens of several photographers. And now, the images produced by four of these professionals arrive in Brazil and can be seen by fans. One of the great moments captured in the show was his historic show in 1988, at the Maracanã Stadium. More than 188,000 people were there to witness the show by an international artist, which put the event in the record books.

The photos, which had never been exhibited in Brazil, were produced by Bob Gruen, Ebet Roberts, Ian Dickson and Lynn Goldsmith. There are 120 images of the queen of rock, which show the singer not only on stage, but also in her difficult private life.

Owner of a powerful and unique voice and frenetic rhythm, Tina Turner made history in international music. With nearly 200 million records sold and 12 Grammys, she is one of the most successful singers of all time, having been considered the queen of rock. She created a unique style of dressing and performing on stage and her success extended beyond music: she went on to launch fashion and also acted in several films, such as Mad Max.

“Tina Turner is one of the icons of the 20th century. Between the end of the 80s and the beginning of the 90s, she was certainly the most famous and most relevant artist in the world”, said André Sturm, executive director of MIS-SP.

“She is a black woman who, at the age of 40, reinvented herself in a feminine, sexy way, full of energy, sweat and happiness and with very powerful songs. Anyone who hasn’t met her will have the chance to get excited about this extraordinary woman here. And we are lucky to have photographers who were very close to Tina and managed to capture her in moments that we didn’t have. It’s not just stage shots, but backstage shots as well,” she added.

“This exhibition comes to revere the trajectory of a powerful, strong woman and example for an entire generation. And also to bring this legacy to people who don’t know it yet”, emphasized Lia Vissotto, co-director of the exhibition.

“Tina Turner’s exhibition is like an opportunity to be in one of her shows. Most of the images were taken on stage. And the stage is her space of creation, of freedom. They were taken by photographers from the world of music and the world of rock who accompanied her for a very long period. These are photos that bring other perspectives, other possibilities and bring you very close to this woman who is an icon”, said Adriana Couto, one of the curators of the exhibition.

The show brings together historical photographs, audiovisual content and installations showing the beginning of Tina Turner’s career, from the 60’s to the end of the 90’s. Born in 1939, in the conservative state of Tennessee, in the United States, she began her career in 1957, under the name Little Ann, alongside Ike Turner, to whom she was married between 1962 and 1978.

The name by which it would become known worldwide only appeared in 1960, with the release of the single A Fool in Love. But only 24 years later, already divorced from an extremely abusive relationship with Ike Turner, is that Tina won her first Grammy.

niches

The exhibition was organized around four main themes related to Tina’s life: her musical career, female power, her participation in cinema and her unique style reflected in her emblematic costumes and hairstyles.

“The images were not separated chronologically. They were separated into niches. We put in female power this place of seeing Tina as a global being, as a woman who had to break down many barriers for having lived at that time. Being a black woman, born in 1939, she lived her entire youth within the American racial segregation. So, here we see the power of this woman in transforming these realities”, said the curator.

“We also have many pictures of concert performances. Her career started with Ike Turner. After their split, she pursued a solo career, and in that career, she achieved stardom at the age of 44. Today we are talking about ageism and Tina Turner managed to break it without having done the discussion, but bringing the theme to the present day. And regarding domestic violence, she was able to talk about it in 1981, when no one was talking about it”, explained Adriana.

In one of the spaces produced especially for the show, it is possible to watch Tina Turner’s historic performance at Maracanã. “We have a giant LED screen with many moments of Tina in concerts for people to feel on stage. And finally, we have the chance to see, on a bigger screen, the show she did in Brazil, in 1988, in Rio de Janeiro, which had a record attendance. It is the record, even today, for a female solo artist, with more than 188,000 payers.”

The exhibition also features behind-the-scenes photos, with Tina alongside iconic figures in the music world such as David Bowie, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. In another niche, photos of her personal life are presented. “There is another possibility in the exhibition, which is to get closer to Tina in her intimate life, which is something very difficult, because she was always on stage. Here at the exhibition there are images of Tina off stage during family moments”, said Adriana.

For visitors who want to feel a bit like the singer, MIS has created a space where you can wear a wig and use a microphone to imitate the rock star.

“Tina Turner has some marks that make her who she is. In the second moment of her career, in the 80s, she stopped using her hair completely loose and long, to spike it. This is one of the most iconic hairstyles in the world. She was always a woman who was on stage dancing, and early in her career, she had to think about her clothes. She designed and sewed her clothes, sewed her wigs, did her choreography, did her makeup. Afterwards, she got more help, but you start to realize that she is a woman who has taken care of her own image. She knows that image is a power. From the image she projects, she can exude power.”

Entry to MIS is free on Tuesdays. More information about the exhibition can be obtained on the event’s website.