When my mother-in-law said two years ago that she was going to write a book about rock n roll photography I was skeptical; while her knowledge of photography is about as deep as anyone in the world, her familiarity with the subject matter was pretty thin. Last night, all doubts were erased as I attended the opening of her exhibition at The Brooklyn Museum. She has pulled together 175 incredible photos from all aspects and generations of rock n roll and presented them beautifully, with text that demonstrates her complete understanding of rock’s cultural power. It is inspiring to see candid pictures taken before they were stars next to images of the transcendent phenomenon they became. Some shots glisten with sweat and seem to jump off the stage and out of the frame, visually capturing the pure emotional expression that drives the aural excitement. There are quiet shots of the artist alone and others surrounded by fawning fans. Some are staged and others raw, but despite the incredible variety, they cohesively paint a beautiful picture of our obsession and cultural dynamo, Rock n Roll.
enjoy and be good