Slater BradleyThe Musée is literally electrified this fall by the exhibition Sympathy for the Devil: Art and Rock and Roll Since 1967.
Organized by Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art, Sympathy for the Devil examines the history of the relationship between avant-garde art and rock music over the past forty years. From Andy Warhol’s legendary involvement with The Velvet Underground in New York in 1967 to the dazzling 2007 installation Pinball Wizard and The Byrds (Love in a Void) by British artist Jim Lambie, Sympathy for the Devil is the most comprehensive presentation ever—including artworks, album cover design, music videos and other materials—of work that has emerged from the intersection of these two cultures. The title is taken from the eponymous Rolling Stones song.
The exhibition comprises over 100 works (installations, sculptures, paintings, drawings, videos, photographs) produced by sixty artists and collectives, subdivided into six themes corresponding to the music scenes in New York, the U.K., continental Europe, the West Coast (particularly Los Angeles), the U.S. Midwest and the rest of the world.
More On Sympathy for the Devil: Art and Rock and Roll Since 1967
Not unlike blues legend Robert Johnson, considered by many to be the granddaddy of rock and roll, Dominic Molon must have found himself tempted by a Faustian deal.Five years ago, the curator was at the crossroads between rockers and artists, confronting the daunting task of exploring the deep-rooted and primal alliances between rebellious spirits haunting both the sonic and visual realms.
Ryan McGinleyUntitled (Morrissey 1)
In his artist statement, Ryan McGinley writes, “The idea behind this series was to capture the feeling from the perspective of a fan attending a Morrissey concert. The great thing about shooting him is that he’s so active. He knows about the drama and opera of performance. . . . All of my work is people performing or being active in front of the camera, so taking pictures of Morrissey made perfect sense.”
As in other series about youth culture that he has completed, McGinley is both an observer and a participant at these concerts. In crafting the final prints, he experiments with size, exposure, and tonality to fashion images that convey the exhilaration and beauty of a captivated audience. In 2007 the International Center of Photography awarded McGinley the prestigious Infinity Award for a young photographer. For the past decade, he has been a regular contributor to a variety of magazines, including Vice, Index, and the New York Times Magazine.
- Untitled (Morrissey 1) / Ryan McGinley 2004–6 / Chromogenic print / Ann and Mel Schaffer Family Collection / © Ryan McGinley
Untitled (Morrissey 25)
Ryan McGinley
Chromogenic print, 2006
Published in UOVO, April/June 2007
Seth O. and Mandy W. Lax
© Ryan McGinley
Artist Statement: Ryan McGinley
I didn't really get into music until I was sixteen. My friend has a brother who was one or two grades ahead of us who listened to Morrissey. We all wore Doc Martens and big army coats and sat in his basement listening to it. I couldn’t believe how someone so far away could speak so directly to me. How could he speak so simply, addressing so many of the issues I was dealing with. He’s having a laugh and, at the same time, he’s being deadly serious. He has a way of saying exactly what I need to hear. These are my songs just like they are everyone else's, but they are still mine.
The idea behind this series was to capture the feeling from the perspective of a fan attending a Morrissey concert. The great thing about shooting him is that he’s so active. He knows about the drama and opera of performance. He invented those classic Smiths moves, whipping around his microphone cord, shaking his hips, and throwing his wrists back and forth in the air. All of my work is people performing or being active in front of the camera, so taking pictures of Morrissey made perfect sense. Photographing the concerts is my way of expressing my appreciation to him.
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