Music photography exhibit on display at Columbia museum
"Rock 'n' roll has a handmaiden, and her name is photography."
This first line of introductory text found inside the "Who Shot Rock & Roll" exhibition at the Columbia Art Museum makes sure there is no mistaking the collection's purpose of highlighting the importance of rock 'n' roll photographers throughout the music genre's history.
The exhibition, which opened to the public on Feb. 25, showcases 175 individual works from over 100 photographers documenting rock 'n' roll from 1955 to the present.
A large, hot pink wall bearing the exhibition's name just inside the entrance boldly announces the collection's presence. This wall lets visitors know up front that though it is presented in an art museum, "Who Shot Rock & Roll" blows away boring conventions and displays the raw emotion of rock seen through the lenses of its most prominent photographers.
"Wow," museum guard and second-year criminal justice student Eddie Farrior said of the public's reaction to the gallery. "It's been really electric."
Upon entering the exhibition, Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel" becomes audible as patrons approach a panel featuring photographer Alfred Wertheimer's shots of Elvis taken in 1956, when "The King" was just 21 years old. The Elvis wall serves as the gallery's jumping-off point, as rock 'n' roll photography was born out of Wertheimer's work.
The rest of the photography in the exhibition's four main rooms is also organized categorically. There are walls dedicated to specific aspects of rock, such as the "Behind the Scenes" and "Fans and Crowds" displays, as well as sections devoted to influential musicians, like Jimi Hendrix and Bob Dylan.
The gallery features work from giants of rock photography such as Annie Leibovitz, one of the original photographers for Rolling Stone; Ernest Withers, who photographed the Memphis Blues scene; and Barry Feinstein, who took memorable shots of Bob Dylan. Some of the most famous rock photographs and album covers of all time are prominently featured in the collection, including the cover of The Clash's "London Calling," taken by Pennie Smith, and John Lennon's iconic New York City photo shoot with Bob Gruen.
"Who Shot Rock & Roll" has pieces that will delight rock fans of all ages, featuring photos that run the gamut of bands, from The Ronettes to Sonic Youth, as well as famous venues, from CBGB to Royal Albert Hall.
"It's going to grab a lot of teenagers as well as the older generations," Farrior said.
The "Who Shot Rock & Roll" exhibition runs through May 22 at the Columbia Museum of Art, located at 1515 Main Street in downtown Columbia. The museum opens at 11 a.m. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. on Saturday and noon on Sunday and closes at 5 p.m. daily. Admission is $5 for students, $10 for adults, $8 for senior citizens and is free for children under the age of five. For more information about the exhibition or the museum itself, call the museum's information line at 803-799-2810 or visit www.columbiamuseum.org.