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Who Shot Rock & Roll: A Photographic History, 1955 to the Present
June 26 - September 26, 2010
Organized by the Brooklyn Museum with guest curator
Gail Buckland
Who Shot Rock & Roll: A Photographic History, 1955
to the Present is an exhibition about
the men and women who have photographed one of the most important cultural revolutions
ever, rock and roll. The music needed images to communicate its message of
rebellion, freedom, and personal reinvention. The best photography of rock is
skillful, sensual, sexy, creative, compelling, and underrated. It provides not
only documentary evidence of cultural change but parallels the energy and
potency of the music itself.
Rock photographers see
themselves as going to the front lines and not returning until they capture the
frenetic energy, euphoria, and freedom that is rock and roll. They say,
correctly, that no one would believe in the revolution unless there were
pictures. Who Shot Rock & Roll
will provide an opportunity for the public to see many of the original prints
and to learn the names of the photographers who shot some of the world’s most
iconic images. For, like the musicians they photographed, they, too, changed
the world and how we see it.
The exhibition comprises behind the scenes images of artists such as R.E.M. at a lunch counter; live performances including the complete series of Jimi Hendrix burning his guitar at the Monterey Pop festival, which has never before been exhibited or reproduced; shots of teenagers pushing British bobbies at Buckingham Palace to glimpse the Beatles; a range of portraits including Philip Townsend’s photographs of The Rolling Stones before they had a record deal; and finally conceptual images and album covers taken by artists such as Andy Earl, Bob Whitaker, Jean-Paul Goude, David LaChapelle, and Storm Thorgersen. Among the many artists captured are Tupac, Kiss, Fugazi, Bjork, Salt ‘n’ Pepa, The Ramones, Prince, Amy Winehouse, and Metallica.
Ian Dickson
The Ramones, 1977
Silver gelatin print 16 x 20 in. (40.6 x 50.8 cm)
Ian Dickson/www.late20thcenturyboy.com
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