HERMAN LEONARD'S "JAZZ GIANTS" OPENS MAY 10TH
AT THE MORRISON HOTEL GALLERY IN SOHO WITH NEWLY DISCOVERED IMAGES
LEGENDARY PHOTOGRAPHER'S FIRST NYC SHOW IN 20 YEARS
"Jazz Giants", the fine art music photography of Herman Leonard, is a photographic journey through the golden years of the Jazz, Blues and Bebop eras that document the larger-than-life legends that comprise the visual album of America's music. Focusing on the life and times of famed artists such as Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk among countless others, this exhibition features a selection from Leonard's extensive photographic history. Using a unique lighting approach, Leonard's signature "backlighting" style and use of elements like smoke and strobe lighting gives his portraits a dramatic quality that is highly humanistic, capturing the illuminating personalities behind the music.
Born in Allentown, PA, Leonard discovered the camera at the young age of 11 and hasn't stopped shooting since. While stationed in Burma in the Army Medical Corps during World War II he developed film late at night in his combat helmet. Leonard studied under famed Canadian portrait photographer Yousuf Karsh and later had the invaluable opportunity to shoot Albert Einstein, Harry S. Truman, Clark Gable. In the 1950s he became the personal photographer to Marlon Brando. Leonard's fashion and advertising jobs have run in magazines like Life, Time and Playboy.
The devastation of Hurricane Katrina not only took his home, studio, and darkroom but over 6,000 of Leonard's original photographs along with many of his exposure records were lost in the hurricane.
Leonard, now 85 and living in Los Angeles, continues to shoot, develop and exhibit his comprehensive archive. Most recently, the Smithsonian Institution honored Leonard by housing his entire collection in the permanent archives of musical history. He is also the recipient of a GRAMMY grant to archive and preserve his collection of over 65,000 negatives and later this year he'll receive the 2008 Lucie Award for Outstanding Achievement in Portraiture. [ read more ] »
Morrison Hotel Gallery - Web site »

Red: A Photographic Exhibition by John Middelkoop
For the last thirty years John Middelkoop has toiled in his advertising and entertainment industries. "I always wanted to be an artist and I approach every job from an artistic view point," he says. "It all started with my interest in images and my dad had plenty of lenses and optical devices for me to play with." At ten years old John received his first camera and the rest is history. Since then he has shot numerous films, taught at UCLA extension, published a book of his images, 'Seeing the Unseen," and is currently producing and directing a documentary on the spiritual aspects of Navajo Cooking. John is a Los Angeles native and his studio is in San Pedro, CA.
"Inside Red" explores the symbolism of the color red. Red is on the far left side of the spectrum and extends beyond what is visible to the human eye. We think of red as a stop sign or a danger signal. Throughout history the color red has symbolized prosperity, strength and fertility. It is also used for protection from evil. "Making red" is synonymous with killing someone, evil doings are referred to as "red affairs."
John says, "I was attracted to the red cloth immediately. The shapes it makes and the way it integrates into different environments intrigues me. Combining it with the female form is the best of both worlds to me." "Inside Red" shows red in a new way. The photographs are hyper-realistic with brilliant colors and lyrical themes, illustrative of the sub-text and subtlety in the color red.
The only public reception will be on San Pedro's 1st Thursdays Art Walk Night, January 3, 2008 from 7-11 p.m., ADULTS ONLY (18 and over). "Inside Red: A Photographic Exhibition" can be seen by appointment. Please call, 310.833.3633 or flazhalley@aol.com. Flazh!Alley Studio is located at 1113 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro, CA. Park in the large city parking lot behind the Ramona Bakery at Pacific Ave. & 11th Street. Enter Flazh!Alley from the alley, of course. [ read more ] »
Flazh!Alley Studio - Web site »