Detail of photo by Lynn Goldsmith: Bono, U2, Los Angeles, 1992. Courtesy Etherton Gallery
In 1967, rock and roll journalism was still in its infancy when a 21-year-old Jann Wenner tapped the talent of 30-year-old photojournalist Baron Wolman to translate the music and its accompanying scene through images for his groundbreaking new publication, Rolling Stone. Armed with his 35mm Nikons, Wolman began shooting the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Cash, Miles Davis and nearly every major act as Rolling Stone’s first chief photographer.
“I met Jann in April of 1967. He outlined his idea for the publication, which eventually became Rolling Stone.He asked me what I thought about his idea; I said it sounded spot on. He then asked me if I would like to be the photographer; I said yes and I agreed to shoot for free, to roll the dice with him on his idea.”
Flash forward to 2011: Rolling Stone is now a household name, instantly recognizable around the world, as are many of the photos taken by Wolman, which are documented in his new book, “Every Picture Tells a Story … Baron Wolman, The Rolling Stone Years.”
“Baron is having this whole new resurrection because of this book he doing,” explains Terry Etherton, owner and curator of Etherton Gallery, which is currently showing Wolman’s work along with the rock and roll photos of the multi-dimensional photographer, director, producer and lecturer Lynn Goldsmith, who is well known for her photos of Bruce Springsteen — whom she once dated — and the Rolling Stones.
“Rockin’ The Desert: Photographs by Baron Wolman & Lynn Goldsmith” is running in conjunction with the Tucson Museum of Art’s upcoming “Who Shot Rock & Roll, a Photographic History, 1955 – Present” exhibit, which is the first of its kind to focus on the photographers rather than the their famous subjects.
“I wanted to present a cross section of some of my favorite images as well as images which have become well-known themselves but not necessarily connected with me as the photographer,” says Wolman. “I’ve often heard people say, ‘Wow, I know that photo but I never knew who took it.’”
As for why Wolman and Goldsmith? “Part of the reason we decided to [show] both Baron and Lynn is that they’re both well represented in the TMA show and I knew that we could make a show out of just the two of them,” says Etherton. “But I also wanted to have a woman represented, because if you look at rock and roll photography it’s been a male-dominated field and it still is. So it was really an easy choice. Plus, they both worked for the same publication but at different times and they both like each other’s work and that was important to me.”
Although Etherton didn’t have to battle with combative egos between the photographers, putting together the show had some difficulties. He explains: “We’re primarily a photo gallery so when something comes in we need to know what it is.
Technically, what it physically is. Is it a silver print? A Fuji Crystal Archive? But with rock and roll photographers it’s like, ‘it’s a color photograph.’ Well I can clearly see that, but what kind of color photo is it? So we had to get both Lynn and Baron to sit down and tell us. So, that was fun.”
While Wolman might not have been able to identify what every print was, he certainly remembers the stories behind each of his photos. For example, 42 years after the fact, he still recalls a meeting he had with Miles Davis as if it was yesterday.
“In 1969, I accompanied Miles Davis from his brownstone on New York’s west side to the famous Gleason’s Gym (boxing) in the Bronx. We rode in his red Ferrari; I asked him to stop along the side of the West Side Highway so I could make some portraits of him with his car. He told me I was out of shape and said we’re going to the gym where he was going to give me a good workout in the ring. In the end it was Miles who worked out; he boxed three times a week and was in phenomenal shape. He explained that he played like he boxed; told me if I listened carefully to his music I could imagine his boxing moves, imagine him in the ring throwing punches.”
Whether it’s the first published shot of Jerry Garcia’s four-fingered hand or Bono flashing the peace sign, the photos in Rockin’ The Desert all have their own stories to tell. In a recent CNN interview, Wolman put it best. “You have to remember, we didn’t have MTV. We didn’t have video. We didn’t have YouTube. You had to in one photo capture the whole feeling of a particular concert.” n
Rockin’ The Desert: Photographs by Baron Wolman & Lynn Goldsmith runs until Nov. 12 at Etherton Gallery, 135 S. 6th Ave. EthertonGallery.com
