"Who Shot Rock and Roll : A Photographic History, 1955 to the Present"
2009-10-29 until 2010-01-31
Brooklyn Museum of Art
Brooklyn, NY, USA

At the Brooklyn Museum of Art from October 30, 2009 to January 31, 2010 in the Morris A. and Meyer Schapiro Wing, "Who Shot Rock and Roll" is the first major museum exhibition on rock and roll to put photographers in the foreground, acknowledging their creative and collaborative role in the history of rock music. From its earliest days, rock and roll was captured in photographs that personalized, and frequently eroticized, the musicians, creating a visual identity for the genre. The photographers were handmaidens to the rock-and-roll revolution, and their images communicate the social and cultural transformations that rock has fostered since the1950s.

The exhibition is in six sections: rare and revealing images taken behind the scenes; tender snapshots of young musicians at the beginnings of their careers; exhilarating photographs of live performances that display the energy, passion, style, and sex appeal of the band on stage; powerful images of the crowds and fans that are often evocative of historic paintings; portraits revealing the soul and creativity, rather than the surface and celebrity, of the musicians; and conceptual images and album covers highlighting the collaborative efforts between the image makers and the musicians.

Who Shot Rock & Roll: A Photographic History, 1955 to the Present is organized by the Brooklyn Museum with guest curator Gail Buckland.

IMAGE
Andy Earl (British, born circa 1955).
Bow Wow Wow, 1981 (printed 2009).
Inkjet print.
Courtesy of Andy Earl

Related Links:

Indepth Arts Resources for the State of New York

Other Important Exhibitions in United States