Tony Nandi ARPS (1950 – 2020)

We are all deeply saddened that Tony Nandi passed away in November.  Tony was one of our country’s foremost photographers of the performing arts, and we were so proud and fortunate that he was Deal Music & Arts’ official photographer.  Tony’s work has made a profound impact on the way our work was seen by everyone, including participants, audiences old and new, supporters and funders.  His work represents a lasting legacy of all we have done and all we hold dear.

We want to share some of the photographs he so generously took for us.

Tony photographed the performance arts for almost forty years, with a special interest in dance. In the first instance Tony’s images were taken for use in marketing, documentary and press purposes.

Self-taught, while working as an Adventure Playground Playleader in the 1970’s Tony took photographs to make pictures for the children to take home as a record of their achievements. He studied Education and Communications at Goldsmith’s College, where he took a unit in photography – his only formal education in what was to become his professional vocation. During this same formative period, Tony was given access to both Goldsmith’s theatre performances and most importantly, to the adjacent dance conservatoire, The Laban Centre, now Trinity Laban.

Tony was intrigued by the challenge of the conveyance of a dynamic time-based, three dimensional, emotionally charged creative production into a static two-dimensional image. His ultimate intention was to invite and engage the viewer to partially recreate the physical, spatial and emotional experience of the performance, only through timing and composition. This did not mean that the performer had to be suspended in the air or dashing about the performance stage, but could be viewed as simply sharing the emotional experience of the performer, or in anticipation of their movement and intent.

Tony had a successful career as an academic, teaching first at Goldsmith’s College upon graduation, then Central St. Martin’s and for 20 years worked as Head of Photography at what is now the University of West London. He retired from teaching in 2010 but Tony’s work as a teacher, Programme Leader and Principal Lecturer was always focused on the students’ experience and was noted for his ability to nurture the individual student’s potential.

On moving to Deal in 2014, Tony became the official photographer for Deal Music & Arts, a position he held until his death from pancreatic cancer in November 2020. You can see all of Tony’s photographs for Deal Music & Arts by clicking here 〉

Tony was a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA), and of The Royal Society of Arts (FRSA). In 2018 he was made an Associate of the Royal Photographic Society (ARPS).

We all miss Tony hugely!