Taking Aim: Unforgettable Rock 'n' Roll Photographs selected by Graham Nash

 

Experience Music Project (EMP), the music museum in Seattle, WA, recently debuted a major new traveling exhibition, Taking Aim: Unforgettable Rock 'n' Roll Photographs selected by Graham Nash, featuring 98 images by 40 different photographers, including Richard Avedon, Anton Corbijn, Henry Diltz, Barry Feinstein, Lee Friedlander, Jill Furmanovsky, Annie Leibovitz, Jim Marshall, Charles Peterson, Neal Preston and Mick Rock.

 

The exhibit opening on Friday, February 5th, featured Graham Nash and nine of the 40 featured photographers, including Jim Marshall, Neal Preston, Henry Diltz, Joel Bernstein, Jini Dellaccio, Alan Messer, Chris Walter, Charles Peterson and Alice Wheeler. During the event, EMP's curatorial director, Jasen Emmons, interviewed Nash about music and photography. After discussing Lew Allen's shot of Buddy Holly on a tour bus in 1958 and explaining how the late musician inspired his own band, The Hollies, Nash played two songs, "Peggy Sue" and "Teach Your Children", on Buddy Holly's 1945 Gibson J-45 guitar.
 
The following day featured three panels, including one with Graham Nash talking to each of the nine photographers about one of their shots in the exhibit. A second panel included Joel Bernstein, Henry Diltz and Jini Dellaccio talking about photographing Neil Young; and the final panel featured Jim Marshall, Neal Preston, and Henry Diltz talking about their careers as rock 'n' roll photographers.
 
The exhibit is on display at EMP until May 23. It travels to the Museum of Photographic Arts (MoPA) in San Diego, running from June 12 to September 26, then becomes available to other venues.

 

Shot of the title wall for Taking Aim at Experience Music Project, with guest curator Graham Nash and the nine photographers who attended the opening events on Friday and Saturday, February 5 and 6, 2010. Standing (l-r) Tina Orr-Cahall, CEO of EMP; Jasen Emmons of EMP; Chris Walter; Alice Wheeler; Neal Preston (bowing); and Alan Messer; in the front row (l-r) are: Charles Peterson; Joel Bernstein; Jini Dellaccio; Graham Nash; Henry Diltz; and Jim Marshall.

 

Other photo, Graham Nash playing Buddy Holly's acoustic guitar (including a leather cover hand-tooled by Buddy). Photo by Alan Messer.