John Lennon, Lady Gaga and more in rock ‘n’ roll photography exhibit
Bob Gruen’s name is synonymous with rock ‘n’ roll photography. From iconic photos of John Lennon to Kiss, Gruen’s images are seared into the brains of music fans.
In August, the famed shooter will be in Vancouver to officially open an exclusive gallery show of his work. Presented by premiere Canadian art gallery Liss Gallery, the exhibition is at Vancouver’s Pendulum Gallery (885 West Georgia St.) beginning July 24 and running until Aug. 25, 2017. It’s Gruen’s first-ever gallery show on the West Coast of Canada.
Curated by Brian Liss, founder of Liss Gallery, the retrospective features images of John Lennon, Bob Dylan, The Sex Pistols, KISS, Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, The Clash, Debbie Harry, David Bowie, Tina Turner, Sonny and Cher, Ryan Adams, The Who, Prince, Lady Gaga, and Patti Smith, among many others.
Debbie Harry of Blondie in front of The Thunderbolt in Coney Island, NY. August 7, 1977. Photo credit: Bob Gruen/Liss Gallery.
According to a media release, “Bob Gruen’s photographs are admired for how they take the viewers backstage, and into intimate moments with music legends. Onstage he captures the passion and freedom of Rock & Roll. He became a personal photographer and friend to John Lennon and Yoko Ono, taking photos of their working life as well as private moments. Bob Gruen created two iconic images: John wearing the New York City t-shirt, and standing in front of the Statue of Liberty making the peace sign.”
Gruen’s photography has been used extensively in print, and has been featured on the cover of Rolling Stone. His work is included in the collections of The National Portrait Gallery in London and The Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle. His photographs have been exhibited at MoMA in New York, The Brooklyn Museum, Sotheby’s S/2 Gallery in London, The Beatles Story Museum and various museums, galleries, and businesses across Asia, Europe, North and South Americas.
Gruen will be in town for a public opening Aug. 10 from 5-8 p.m. (note: confirmed rsvp is required and no merchandise other than authorized by Liss Gallery is to be autographed). Admission to the gallery and exhibit is free of charge and the public can visit Pendulum Gallery during their hours of operation, Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. All items on display at the exhibition will be available for purchase.