BERLIN.- Camera Work present the group exhibition »CAMERA WORK rocks« starting on June 8, 2013. The self-curated exhibition shows, with over 100 photographs, a selection of outstanding portraits of the most influential musicians of the last decades photographed by the most famous artists worldwide.
Between self realization and self dramatization
Meaningful portrait photographs can tell a life story, influence the personality and reputation in public, create or manifest an image and in the end anchor a collective awareness. A visual image correlates with the notion of the recipient and completes the view and meaning of the personality. The representation of a musician in photography can be differentiated: paparazzi photographs, documentary or on-stage photographs own an individual aesthetic as well as a contextual character and each serve a different purpose. It is exclusively reserved to photography art to create a symbiosis between the photographer and the subject and to implement the endeavor for artistic self-realization. Only with this individual »Spiel« between the protagonists can emerge artistic works that distinguish themselves through an outstanding imagery, a special expressiveness and impact and a partially staged, narrative and fascinating content. »CAMERA WORK rocks« gives an insight in this sphere. Photographers like Richard Avedon, Anton Corbijn, Annie Leibovitz, Gered Mankowitz or Albert Watson made many of the most prominent musicians and bands throughout the pop and rock history to symbols of a lifestyle. Together, they influenced a significant part of photography.
Queens, Bad Boys and Chameleons
Consequently, »CAMERA WORK rocks« does not present a chronicle of music history, but an exclusive outstanding selection of over 100 photographs of more than 30 different musicians and bands of the last decades photographed by over 20 of the most famous artists worldwide. Amongst the exhibited photographs are the legendary Beatles series by Richard Avedon, famous portraits of Johnny Cash or Patty Smith by Anton Corbijn, one of the most famous Jimi Hendrix portraits of all time by Gered Mankowitz or a photo narration of Rammstein by the artist Eugenio Recuenco. Also, the masters of self dramatization and enfant terribles like the Rolling Stones – photographed by Sante D’Orazio, Peter Lindbergh or Terry O’Neill – Iggy Pop and world famous portraits of David Bowie are presented in the exhibition. Brian Duffy’s large size portrait of Bowie that was shot in 1973 for his album »Aladdin Sane« or Albert Watson’s surreal seeming photo of the singer reveal the changeability and the internalized understanding of art of the »Chameleon of Pop«. Not only the David Bowie portraits show imaginative self-portrayal and self-created artistic figure. Lady Gaga or Boy George also completely unfold their entity as extravagant creations in the works of Ellen von Unwerth or Michel Comte and obtain their framed appreciation at »CAMERA WORK rocks«. But the exposition does not only show the eccentric madness and stereotyped »Sex, Drugs and Rock’n’Roll« lifestyle that musicians project to the public. A provocative Madonna portrait by Herb Ritts, a stunning portrait of Marius Müller-Westernhagen by Romney Müller-Westernhagen, a lascivious group portrait of the Pussycat Dolls lolling on a bed by Martin Schoeller or a picturesque full body nude of the singer Rihanna by Russell James are next to more cautious, melancholic and subtle images. The rapper Snoop Dog in a warlike pose, photographed by Olaf Heine or a picture of Sting by Paolo Roversi reveal a calm atmosphere and show further facets of the emotional dramatization of musicians in photography.
Artists featured in the exhibition
Richard Avedon, Harry Benson, Michel Comte, Anton Corbijn, Michelangelo Di Battista, Sante D’Orazio, Brian Duffy, Bob Gruen, Olaf Heine, Dominique Issermann, Russell James, Nadav Kander, Astrid Kirchherr, Robert Lebeck, Annie Leibovitz, Peter Lindbergh, Gered Mankowitz, Elaine Mayes, Ralph Mecke, Romney Müller- Westernhagen, Terry O’Neill, Eugenio Recuenco, Bettina Rheims, Herb Ritts, Paolo Roversi, Jerry Schatzberg, Martin Schoeller, Ellen von Unwerth, Albert Watson, and more
