'PHOTO LA GOLD'

Via PhotoInduced

At first blush, we like to just get an overall vibe of a event.

Opening night, we let you know that there were fewer dealers and no breakout stars.
But then we knew we had to go digging for gold.

And we found some.


By the way, the Monroe Gallery from Santa Fe, had some supreme examples of the best in journalistic photography. Seriously the classics all seemed to be there, from Malcolm X taking a photo of Muhammad Ali in a diner after he beat Sonny Liston, to Marilyn Monroe singing Happy Birthday  to John Kennedy, and even George Bush synchronizing his watch with Dick Cheney.

Not cheap, but high quality.

See the full article here.

PHOTO LA: DAY TWO

It was a beautuful day in Santa Monica, we heard it topped 84 degrees! But, inside the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium it was a very, very busy day at Photo LA.

The Monroe Gallery booth (#A-102) has garnered several reviews, and seems especially relevent this Martin Luther King holiday weekend..

Please join us at Photo LA, which continues Sunday and Monday.


Related: Monroe Gallery at Photo LA

REVIEW: Photo LA- A Few Truffles in the Miasma

 
Photo LA- A Few Truffles in the Miasma.


by Herr Müller on January 14, 2011

Art Fairs can be grind. I’ve worked them from the vantage point of the dealer, showing and selling prints for 8 hours straight. I’ve worked them from the vantage point of an exhibiting artist. And then I’ve “worked” them as a passionate and undauntable visual consumer. To be able to determine the wheat from the chaff is made only a tad easier by the concentration of a single venue. But then the walk in Chelsea or the drive in LA actually provides a moment of visual peace between art encounters.

Photo LA, in its 20th Anniversary rendition, is currently at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium and runs through Monday. The Fair looks good, well laid out, well lighted and user-friendly. The art on display runs the gambit from sublime to ridiculous, but this can be said of any fair, of any caliber. But we’re in the business of TruffleHunting, so here then a few notable standouts:

A new discovery for me was Annie Seaton, shown at DNJ Gallery, recently moved to Bergamont station. Cutout surfers from one photograph reappear on a facsimile painted ground of another. The paradigm is elegant and well executed. Modestly scaled and intelligent, Ms. Seaton has managed to deface in order to recreate.

Harry Callahan is and has been one of my favorite for many moons. Tom Gitterman is showing a handsome image of Elenor, the artist’s wife, muse and subject throughout his career. Aside for my personal love for the silhouette, the composition is divine and bold. It veers into abstraction and then gently manages to reassert itself into a portrait. The image is both intimate and veiled and thus divinely mysterious.

Photography as journalistic tool and witness has always been important. No greater picture at the fair than this marvelous campaign shot of Bobby Kennedy riding in a convertible in Indianapolis in 1968. Bobby is riding with the Fearsome Foursome and Prizefighter Tony Zale. The image is by Bill Eppridge and can be seen at Monroe Gallery of Photography.

Another personal favorite in the history of Photography is Robert Heineken. A conceptual artist wielding the medium of photography in the 70′s and 80′s, Heineken was deeply ahead of his time. The dime a dozen MFA grads that are pumped out of Academic institutions at a dizzying rate only wish they could have his wit and charm and intelligence. At Barry Singer there are two excellent examples of his work. Polaroid photograms of art school lunches. Items from a salad bar and a neatly dissected submarine sandwich act as subject matter. Original, funny with a soupcon of fuck you make the result a perfect blend of commentary and art. Further examples of Heineken can be seen at Stephen Daiter‘s booth from Chicago.

At Light Work, one of the most successful and enduring Non for profit organizations in the nation it must be said, there’s a great print by David Graham that ominously and wittily sums up the state of the financial landscape. Billboards are a deeply American phenomenon but it may not get any perfectly American as this. The Booth is filled with remarkable examples of great artists, all at reasonable prices, each one donated in support of the ambitious programming.



Lastly I will leave you a triptych by the irascible Wegee at . Yes, I say, a three-ring circus should be a triptych. Of course! The middle image may just be the world’s most perfect double exposure with the observed and the observers fusing into a single image.

I will be giving tours to the VIP guests of the fair on Saturday and Sunday at 12, 2 and 4pm. Come out and sign up and join the dialogue.

Did you see the fair? Leave your thoughts in the comments and let me know the Truffles you found!

-Mario M. Muller, Los Angeles










PHOTO LA, DAY 2: THE ANNIVERSARY OF MARTIN LUTHER KING'S BIRTHDAY

Today is the anniversary of Martin Luther King's birthday.

Monroe Gallery, Booth A-102 at Photo LA.

Third row from left, top is a rare vintage print of the Funeral Procession for Martin Luther King by Lynn Pelham; below is Charles Moore's iconic photograph of  Martin Luther King, Jr. being "Arrested on a Loitering Charge, Montgomery, September 3, 1958"; below is Steve Schapiro's photograph of the Freedom Bus Riders from the summer of 1964.

And, Bill Eppridge's gripping photographs from the Neshoba Civil Rights Murders. To the right, Steve Schapiro's photograph of Martin Luther King during the Selma March, Bob Gomel's classic photograph of Malcolm X and Cassius Clay the night before Clay would declare his conversion to Islam and changing his name to "Muhammad Ali", and Rosa Parks.

Next right row: Grey Villet's photographs of the Little Rock Nine, Martin Luther King, and Steve Schapiro's shocking photograph of Segregationists in 1964.

More updates from Photo LA soon.

MONROE GALLERY AT PHOTO LA

The 20th Anniversary edition of Photo LA opened last night with a benefit preview for LACMA, hosted by Stephen Shore. The fair continues through Monday.

Here are a few highlights from our booth A-102

A rare over-size print of Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole at the Villa Capri, 1955 by Bernie Abramson, who passed away this past August.

Stephen Wilkes: Day Into Night and America In Detail

More to come!

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR, BORN JANUARY 15, 1929

Steve Schapiro: Martin Luther King, Alabama, 1965



Martin Luther King, Jr. was born at noon on Tuesday, January 15, 1929 at the family home, 501 Auburn Avenue, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Charles Johnson was the attending physician. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the first son and second child born to the Reverend Martin Luther King, Sr. and Alberta Williams King. Also born to the Kings were Christine, now Mrs. Isaac Farris, Sr., and the Reverend Alfred Daniel Williams King. The Reverend A.D. King is now deceased.

He married Coretta Scott, the younger daughter of Obadiah and Bernice McMurry Scott of Marion, Alabama, on June 18, 1953. The marriage ceremony took place on the lawn of the Scott’s home in Marion, Alabama. The Rev. King, Sr. performed the service, with Mrs. Edythe Bagley, the sister of Coretta Scott King as maid of honor, and the Rev. A.D. King, the brother of Martin Luther King, Jr., as best man.

Four children were born to Dr. and Mrs. King:
Yolanda Denise (November 17, 1955, Montgomery, Alabama)
Martin Luther III (October 23, 1957, Montgomery, Alabama)
Dexter Scott (January 30, 1961, Atlanta, Georgia)
Bernice Albertine (March 28, 1963, Atlanta, Georgia)

Full biography here.
Source: The King Center

Related: Remembering Martin Luther King Jr.

PREVIEW: PHOTO LA OPENS TONIGHT

La Lettre de la Photographie
January 13, 2011

PHOTO LA

One of our favorite daily photography sources has a feature article on the Photo LA Fair, which celebrates its 20th Anniversary Edition tonight.

Photo LA celebrates its 20th Anniversary as the longest running art fair west of New York and the largest photo-based art fair in the country, drawing over 10,000 attendees. It brings together photography dealers from around the globe, displaying the finest contemporary photography, video and multi-media installations along with masterworks from the 19th century.


It has been essential in transforming the art/ photography landscape of Los Angeles by increasing public awareness and acceptance and the inclusion of photo-based art in almost all contemporary galleries and museum exhibitions.

artLA was created in 2004 as a public event bringing together a mix of national and international galleries, artists, collectors and curators for a visual dialogue on the current art scene. Its ongoing commitment to presenting the most challenging art being produced today has led to the creation of artLA projects, an ongoing citywide program of dynamic and innovative installations, exhibitions, seminars and conversations with established and cutting- edge artists in all media.

Photo l.a. XX and the launch of artLA projects, is a prelude to a much larger artLA 2011 that will align with the start of the Getty’s Pacific Standard Time Initiative and Art Platform, Los Angeles, a new art fair in the fall of 2011 created by the team that produces the Armory Show.

Among the guests who are going to give a lecture, you wil find:

Amy Arbus, William Eggleston, Bill Hunt, Jessica Lange, Arthur Tress, Stephen Shore, Manfred Heiting, Weston Naef, Arthur Ollman, Wallis Annenberg

The director of the Festival is Stephen Cohen.

LA’s Longest Running Art Fair Joins artLA projects

Thursday, January 13, 2011 through Monday, January 17, 2011

Here are the photography with the gallery presented:

1. Mario Giacomelli, « untitled » ca. 1970’s-1980’s, gelatin silver print, 7 1/16 × 9 10/16 inches, courtesy of Gallery 19th/21st

http://gallery19th21st.free.fr/
Gallery 19th/21st
9 Little Harbor Road – Guilford, CT 06437 – USA


2. Graham Nash, “Joni,” from “Love, Graham Nash,” courtesy of 21st Editions

3. Herman Leonard, “Listen: Herman Leonard and his World of Jazz,” courtesy of 21st Editions.

4. Herman Leonard, “Ella Fitzgerald” from “Listen: Herman Leonard and his World of Jazz,” courtesy of 21st Editions

5. Jerry Uelsmann, from “Moth and Bonelight,” courtesy of 21st Editions

6. Michael Kenna, from Huangshan: Poems from the T’ang Dynasty, courtesy of 21st Editions

http://www.21steditions.com/
21st Editions
9 New Venture Drive, #1 – South Dennis, MA, 02669 – USA

7. Debra Holt, “Untitled,” C-Print, 60×40 inches, courtesy of Abba Fine Art.
http://www.abbafineart.com/
Abba Fine Art
233 NW 36th Street Miami, FL 33127

8. Brooke Shaden, “Dream State,” 35×35 inches, courtesy of Joanne Artman Gallery.

9. Denis Peterson, “Gloucester Road,” Acrylic, Urethane & Oils, 30×40 inches, courtesy of Joanne Artman Gallery.

10. Natalie “Miss Aniela” Dybszi, “The Smothering,” 35×35 inches, courtesy of JoAnne Artman Gallery.
http://www.joanneartmangallery.com/
Joanne Artman Gallery
326 N Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, CA 92651

11. Pete Eckert, “Stations,” Centro Series, courtesy of Blind Photographers Guild.

12. Alice Wingwall, “Rumba at Dendur,” Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Color Photography, 24×30 inches, courtesy of Blind Photographers Guild.

13. Bruce Hall, “Prize Fighter,” courtesy of Blind Photographers Guild.

Blind Photographers Guild, 421 26th Street, Sacramento, CA 95816 USA

14. Bill Mattick, “Untitled,” from the “Mendota Water” Series, 2009, C-Print, 32×40 inches, courtesy of Corden
Potts Gallery.

15. Beth Kientzle, “On the Edge,” courtesy of Corden
Potts Gallery.
http://www.cordenpottsgallery.com/

Corden
Potts Gallery.
49 Geary Street, Ste. 211, San Francisco, CA 94108 – USA

16. Andre Kertesz, “Woman Holding Sign,” 1940s, courtesy of Stephen Daiter Gallery.

17. Elliott Erwitt, “Venice, Italy,” 1949, courtesy of Stephen Daiter Gallery.

18. Wynn Bullock, “Untitled,” 1950s, courtesy of Stephen Daiter Gallery.
http://www.stephendaitergallery.com/
Stephen Daiter Gallery
230 W. Superior, Chicago, IL 60654 – USA

19. David Trautrimas, “Mnemonic Doppelganger,” 2009, archival digital print, courtesy of dnj Gallery.

20. David Trautrimas, “Storm Crown Mechanism,” 2009, archival digital print, courtesy of dnj Gallery.

21. William Eggleston, “Untitled,” courtesy of dnj Gallery.

22. Nan Goldin, CZ and Max, courtesy of dnj Gallery.
http://www.dnjgallery.net/
Bergamot Station, 2525 Michigan Avenue, Suite J1, Santa Monica, CA 90404

23. Rob Carter, “Cala, Fuili II, Sardinia,” from the “Traveling Still” series, courtesy of Eyestorm.

24. Rob Carter, from the “Traveling Still” series, courtesy of Eyestorm.
http://www.eyestorm.com/

Eyestorm
London
27 Hill Street
W1J 5LP
(+44) 0845 643 2001

25. Allen Frame, “Hillary and Josh,” Punta del Este, Uraguay, 2008, courtesy of Gitterman Gallery.
http://www.gittermangallery.com/html/home.asp
Gitterman Gallery
170 East 75th Street
New York, NY 10021

26. Frank Maedler, “L 7,” from the series “UT” (Silber), courtesy of Gallery J.J. Heckenhauer.

27. Peter Neusser, “Wolfsburg,” courtesy of Gallery J.J. Heckenhauer.

28. Mauren Brodbeck, “Juliette #5,” courtesy of Gallery J.J. Heckenhauer.
http://www.heckenhauer.net/ga/en/index.html
Gallery J.J. Heckenhauer Holzmarkt 5 
72070 Tübingen
Germany

29. Dezhong Wei, from the series “Days Full of Inspirations,” courtesy of Henan Pan-View Image Culture Media Co., Ltd.

30. Shilong Wang, from the series “Days Full of Inspirations,” courtesy of Henan Pan-View Image Culture Media Co., Ltd.

31. Yong Luo, from the series “City of View,” 2005, courtesy of Henan Pan-View Image Culture Media Co., Ltd.

32. Yong Luo, from the series “City of View,” 2005, courtesy of Henan Pan-View Image Culture Media Co., Ltd.
http://www.pan-view.com/
Henan Pan-View Image Culture Media Co., Ltd.C-702 Dongjun International #1212, E Hanghai Road

33. Edward Westen, “MGM,” courtesy of Paul M. Hertzman, Inc.
http://www.hertzmann.net/pages/
PO Box 40447
San Francisco, CA 94140-0448, USA

34. Bob Poe, “Cover,” 2009, I-Phone photo, 54 × 90 inches, courtesy of the Los Angeles Art Association
Gallery 825.

35. Niku Kashef, “The House of Life and Death,” 2008, C-Print, 36×36 inches, courtesy of the Los Angeles Art Association
Gallery 825.

http://www.laaa.org/
Gallery 825
825 N. La Cienega Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90069

36. Jens Liebchen, “Sunset Boulevard and Gower Street, Los Angeles,” 2010, Pigmented ink on Hahnemuehle Paper, 14×11 inches, courtesy of The Lapis Press
Schaden.com.

37. Oliver Sieber, “Arnold,” Pigmented ink on Hahnemuehle Paper, 11×14 inches, courtesy of The Lapis Press
Schaden.com
http://www.lapispress.com/
http://www.schaden.com/ Schaden.com
Buchhandlung GmbH
Albertusstr. 4
50667 Köln

38. Carrie Mae Weems, “Untitled,” from the “Kitchen Table” series, 1990, courtesy of Light Work.

39. Elijah Gowen, “Cup,” courtesy of Light Work

40. Scott Conarroe, “Trailer Park, Wendover, UT,” 2008, courtesy of Light Work.
http://www.lightwork.org/
Robert B. Menschel Media Center
316 Waverly Avenue
Syracuse, New York 13244
USA

41. Alfred Eisenstaedt, “Marilyn Monroe,” 1953, copyright Time, Inc., courtesy of Gallery M.
http://www.gallerym.com/default.cfm
Gallery M.
180 Cook St, Suite 101, Denver, CO 80206

42. Stephen Wilkes, “Washington Square, Day into Night, New York,” 2009, 40×30 inches, courtesy of Monroe Gallery.

43. Bill Eppridge, "Robert F. Kennedy campaigns with various aides and friends

44. Steve Schapiro, “Segregationists, St. Augustine, Florida,” 1964

45. Stephen Wilkes, “Central Park, Day into Night,”
http://www.monroegallery.com/

Monroe Gallery
112 Don Gaspar Santa Fe, NM 87501 – USA

46. Ju Duoqi, “Liberty Leading the Vegetables,” 2008, courtesy of M.R. Gallery
http://mrgalery.com.cn/
M.R. Gallery
No.D06, Mid Second Street, 798 Art District, Chaoyang District, 100015 Beijing, China

47. Norman Kulkin, “Untitled,” courtesy of Select Vernacular Photographs.
http://www.pixidiom.com/
727 N. Fuller Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90046 – USA

48. Tom Chambers, “Caging the Songbird,” from the “Dreaming in Reverse” series, 20×20 inches, courtesy of photo-eye Gallery.

49. Tom Chambers, “Presumptuous Guests,” from the “Dreaming in Reverse” series, courtesy of photo-eye Gallery.
http://photoeye.com/
photo-eye Gallery.
376, Garcia Street, Santa Fe, NM 87501 – USA

50. Joey L., “Portrait of Saragolea,” from the “Abyssinia” series, courtesy of photokunst.

51. Joey L., “Portrait of Saragolea,” from the “Abyssinia” series, courtesy of photokunst.
http://www.photokunst.com/
Photokunst
725 Argyle Avenue, Friday Harbor, WA 98250 – USA

52. Marian Drew, “Emu with yellow canary,” 2010, courtesy of Queensland Centre for Photography.
http://www.qcp.org.au/
Corner of Russel and Cordelia Street, South Brisbane QLD 4101 Australia

53. Juan Fontanive, “Livelinesse 2,” 2010, Edition 14, courtesy of Riflemaker: London.
http://www.riflemakerorg/
Riflemaker
79 Beak Street, London, W1F 9SU – UK

54. John Baldessari, “Blue Boy (with yellow boy: one with Hawaiin tie, one in dark), Three Color Lithograph,” 1989, courtesy of Barry Singer Gallery.
http://www.singergallery.com/
Barry Singer Gallery.
7 Western Avenue, Petaluma, CA 94952 – USA

55. Christopher Clark and Virginie Pougnaud, “Aurore Eveillee,” archival digital lambda print, 43.3×43.3 inches, courtesy of Skotia Gallery
http://www.skotiagallery.com/
Skotia Gallery
150 W. Marcy Street, Ste 103, Santa Fe, NM 87501 – USA

56. Kelsy Waggaman, “When Was The Last Time You Made Love To Yourself,” archival pigment print 19×28.5 inches, courtesy of Skotia Gallery.
http://www.skotiagallery.com/

57. Robert Frank, “Cadillac Showroom,” 1955, Vintage gelatin silver print, 8.5×13 inches, signed and stamped, courtesy of Joel Soroka Gallery.
http://www.joelsorokagallery.com/
Joel Soroka Gallery.
400 E. Hyman Avenue, Aspen, CO 81611 – USA

58. Ralph Steiner, “Lollipop,” 1920s/c.1981, 4.5×3.5 inches, gelatin silver print, courtesy of Robert Tat Gallery.
http://www.roberttat.com/
Robert Tat Gallery.
49 Geary Street, # 211, San Francisco, CA 94108 – USA

59. Ma Kang, “FORBIDDEN CITY: Policemen before the Tian’anmen Gate-tower,” 2008, Inkjet print, courtesy of OFOTO Gallery.
http://www.ofoto-gallery.com/
OFOTO Gallery
2F, Building 13, 50 Mogashan Road, Shanghai 200060 – China

60. Luo Yongjin, “Kezhi Garden,” 2002, Injet print, courtesy of OFOTO Gallery.
http://www.ofoto-gallery.com/

Links:
http://www.photola.com/

Bill Eppridge - History in the Making

Bill Eppridge - History in the Making
DOUBLE EXPOSURE

By Lynne Eodice

Jan 11, 2011

All photos by Bill Eppridge.

In a notable career shooting primarily for Life and Sports Illustrated, Bill Eppridge has covered wars, political campaigns, heroin addiction, the arrival of the Beatles in the United States, the summer and winter Olympics, and perhaps the most dramatic moment of his career--the assassination of Senator Robert Kennedy in Los Angeles. His photography has won numerous awards and has appeared in traveling exhibits throughout the world. He has taught photojournalism at Yale University, the Missouri Photojournalism Workshop, Barnstorm: The Eddie Adams Workshop, Rich Clarkson's Photography at the Summit, and Sportsshooter Workshop.

The Chaney family as they depart for the burial of James Chaney, Meridian, Mississippi, August 7, 1964

 When his family lived in Richmond, Virginia at the end of WWII, a man with a pony came to the Eppridge household one day and offered his photographic services. Bill Eppridge, who was about 10 at the time, got out his Brownie Starflash 620 camera and posed with it. "I started thinking, 'this guy doesn't have a bad job. He gets to travel, meets some interesting people and he's even got a pony.'" As a young boy, he waited for the mailman to deliver Life magazine every week, and always enjoyed the photographs by David Douglas Duncan, Robert Capa, and Henri Cartier-Bresson. "I was fascinated by this work and I felt that it affected the people who looked at these pictures." He was also moved by Joe Rosenthal's image of the flag being raised at Iwo Jima. "Over the years, I thought there was some power with this medium. If you can do a couple of good things for people in your life, then you've lived a good life," he remarks.


Joining the Ranks of his Heroes

After graduating from high school, Eppridge decided he wanted to be an archaeologist and attended the University of Toronto. He also took pictures for the Varsity, the campus newspaper. "By the end of my second year there, I was Director of Photography," he remembers. His grades in school began to slip, and he realized that photography was really where he wanted to be. One of the faculty members at the college advised him to go to the University of Missouri, as it was the best school for journalism.

Ethel Kennedy Leans Over Robert F. Kennedy As He Lies Wounded on Floor of Ambassador Hotel Kitchen, June, 1968 © Time

Twice, he won the National College Picture Competition sponsored by the National Press Photographers' Association (NPPA) and the University of Missouri. "In both cases, the first prize was an Encyclopedia Britannica and a week's internship at Life magazine," Eppridge says. "During those weeks, I met some of the people whose pictures I had seen as a child." One of his winning images was the result of a lucky accident, taken when a Columbia, Missouri newspaper needed a cover for its farm supplement. Eppridge agreed to take pictures of an impending tornadic storm, and pulled his car up alongside a farm just as the sky was turning black. A farm horse, which he describes as "an old plug," approached him. Eppridge slipped, making a sudden move that startled the horse, and it ran away. Shooting quickly, he got one dramatic picture of this off-white horse galloping against a dark, foreboding sky. "The old plug looked just like a thoroughbred," he relates. The image, titled, 'Stormy,' also won first place Pictorial in the NPPA's Pictures of The Year competition-- Eppridge credits it with starting his career. (And fortunately, the horse was fine, as the storm never really touched down.)


He says, "Most of the Missouri grads at the time migrated to National Geographic." Thus, he made inroads at both NGS and Life. His first assignment for NGS was a nine-month trip around the world with the International School of America. The trek started in Japan and moved across the continents to Europe. "I didn't attend classes like they did, so I was free to roam. It was a great way to get introduced to this profession and to the world outside," he recalls.

Senator Robert F. Kennedy Stands in Front of a Poster of JFK,1966; © Time

A Ground Floor Opportunity

He moved on to Life following the advice of his Picture Editor at NGS, Bill Garrett, who was also a graduate of Missouri. "He was a brilliant man," exclaims Eppridge, "who always had a very good sense of what was going on in the world." NGS had wanted Eppridge to remain in Washington while they laid the story out, and put him to work in the magazine's color lab as a technician. Once the story was laid out, the editor, Melville Bell Grosvenor wanted to make him a staff photographer. "I felt really wonderful about this," he says. "But a few days later, Garrett told me, 'you've got to get out of here. They want you on staff and you can't do that.'" Garrett told the young man that the world was, in essence, starting to "blow up," with unrest in Latin America and Southeast Asia. "You've got to photograph those places," he advised Eppridge. "You won't get a chance to do that if you stay here."

One of the judges of a picture competition that Eppridge had won was Roy Rowan, the Life Bureau Chief in Chicago. "I went to New York blindly with a portfolio under my arm," Eppridge says. "I didn't make any phone calls and didn't set anything up." He thought Life was a little out of reach, but hoped to get a free lunch from one of his friends there. "I went over to the Time-Life building and was standing at the corner of 51st and 6th Avenue. This voice behind me says, 'Eppridge, is that you?' and I turned around and said, 'Roy Rowan, is that you?'" As it turned out, Rowan was the new Director of Photography at Life, and told Eppridge they were looking for young photographers. He had an opportunity to start shooting for the magazine that afternoon, but since he hadn't brought his camera with him, he began his career with the venerable publication after moving to New York several weeks later. "The first assignment I shot ran in the magazine, and so did the next several stories," he says--an impressive feat, considering that Life had a very high "kill factor" at the time. Soon Life made Eppridge a staff photographer.

His assignments with the magazine marked some very important points in history, beginning with coverage of several wars in the early sixties. "I went to Panama, Santa Domingo, and Managua for those revolutions," Eppridge notes. "I spent some time in Mississippi when the bodies of three slain civil rights workers were found, and I was in Vietnam. It taught me that war ain't glorious at all--not made for human consumption." He also did a story on heroin addiction, where he lived with a pair of addicts in New York City for about three months, in an area known as Needle Park. "They were just being themselves because that's the way I work," he says. "I prefer to be a speck on the wall." The resulting story won several awards, including the National Headliners Award that year. It was also the inspiration for Al Pacino's first film, "Panic in Needle Park."

All in all, he's covered a wide range of stories for Life, including spending a week with Jonas Salk, the inventor of the Polio vaccine. He photographed the summer Olympics in Mexico, and spent time with Dick Butkus during his rookie year with the Chicago Bears. He was also the first photojournalist to be allowed to travel on tour with Lyndon B. Johnson during his presidency. "I was on Air Force One for several days," he comments. Eppridge also covered civil rights issues, and was with the family of James Chaney after his body was found, and photographed his funeral. "I was able to show how that family dealt with a terrible event."

Heroin Addicts Getting High, NYC, 1965 © Time

Rock n' Roll History

In 1964, the magazine sent him on assignment on what would become a legendary rock band's historic arrival to the U.S. "One morning my boss said, 'Look, we've got a bunch of British musicians coming into town. They're called the Beatles.'" Eppridge, who wasn't really a rock n' roll fan, recalled that Life had recently done a story about a phenomenon known as Beatlemania--"The Beatles were running down the street with little girls screaming and running after them." His orders were to cover their arrival in New York from a unique vantage point where nobody else happened to be, so Eppridge went to JFK International Airport to scout out locations. "I wandered around and found a spot that I liked," he says. "So I set up there, leaned against a pole, and waited." Before long, another photographer headed in his direction, apparently also seeking a good location, and set his camera bag down about 20 feet from Eppridge. He made acquaintance with this photographer, who turned out to be the Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Eddie Adams, on assignment from Associated Press.

"I decided I liked the guy, although he was competition," says Eppridge of that initial meeting. They discussed where the ideal spot would be to shoot the British group's arrival, and both concluded that it would be best to be on the plane, behind the Beatles as they came out the door, photographing them and the huge, uproarious crowd below. When the plane landed, the door opened, "and out came this beautiful Pan Am stewardess, followed by the Beatles, who were dressed like proper young men," he remembers. And lo and behold, a photographer followed them out the door of the plane. "Eddie and I just looked at each other," Eppridge says. It turned out that the photographer was Harry Benson, who was working for one of the British newspapers at the time.

Eppridge covered the first few days that the Beatles were in New York, and learned a lot about music. "These were four very fine young gentlemen, and great fun to be around," he says. After he introduced himself to Ringo, who consulted with John, the group asked what he wanted them to do while being photographed for Life. "I'm not going to ask you to do a thing," was Eppridge's reply. "I just want to be there." He was invited to come up to their hotel room and "stick with them." The resulting photos from this story were on display at the Smithsonian for an entire year. That exhibit is still traveling and is currently in Liverpool, England.

Motorcycle Race in Desert, 1971 © Bill Eppridge

A Pivotal Moment in Time

In 1966, he was assigned to cover Bobby Kennedy's political campaigns. "He endorsed candidates who had helped his brother," notes Eppridge. "But he was also testing the waters to see how his own candidacy would go over in '68." That year, Life asked him to cover Kennedy's campaign, beginning with the primaries. At that time, the magazine assigned one staffer to each major candidate. On June 5, 1968, at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, he was instructed by his boss to "stay as close as you can to Bobby. The editors here feel that if he wins California--which appears likely--he will probably be the next President of the United States." Back then, he says, you could do all your dealings directly with the candidate, no middleman involved. As opposed to the massive security today, Bobby Kennedy only had one bodyguard, Bill Barry.


Kennedy assured Eppridge that he would be part of his immediate group, which meant that wherever the Democratic candidate went, Eppridge wouldn't be far behind. "When he came off the stage, we would form an arrowhead-shaped wedge of photographers who would go through a crowd," he relates. "If people got pushed out of the way, then it was the press who did it and not the candidate." Being in the "pocket" of the wedge also gave Senator Kennedy freedom to move around and shake hands. "We had that wedge formed at Barry's direction to go out of a different exit," he says. "Bobby came off the stage, and came down to Barry, who said 'Senator, this way,' pointing across the room." But Bobby insisted on going out through the kitchen, which was the way they had entered. Again, Barry told him to go across the room, but the Senator refused, turned, and entered the kitchen.

"We couldn't scramble fast enough," Eppridge remembers. "We all headed towards the kitchen, but were behind him about 15 feet." As he tried to catch up, he went through the kitchen doors, and heard the sound of gunshots. It was eight shots. Thinking quickly, he grabbed the television cameraman and shoved him forward to utilize his light. Among the thoughts Eppridge had at that moment was a very loud and clear one: "You are not just a photojournalist, you're a historian."

Juan Romero, a busboy with whom Kennedy had been shaking hands, now cradled the Senator's head in his arms. Eppridge had time to capture only a few frames. "The first one was out of focus," he says. "In the second one, Romero is looking down at Kennedy, and in the third one, Romero was looking up with a pleading look." After that, the scene became bedlam. "You think you're in a position to help," he muses. "There were doctors in the room, and I knew I could only do my job because there was nothing I could do to help the Senator. So I just concentrated on doing my job."

Eppridge has published two photographic books on Bobby Kennedy. The first, titled The Last Campaign, was published in 1993 on the 25th anniversary of Senator Kennedy's death. The most recent one is entitled A Time It Was: Bobby Kennedy In The Sixties, (Abrams, June 2008) and includes never-before-published color photographs from the campaign that had been lost for 40 years. "What I would like people to know about is the freedom we (photographers) had and the ability we were given to tell the truth," Eppridge comments. "The press is controlled in such a way today that you almost never see the real person you're photographing. You're taking pictures of what their handlers want you to see."

Dennis Connor's Boat in America's Cup Race, Australia 1987 © Bill Eppridge

Protecting Natural Resources

"After Bobby was killed, of course, I didn't do any more politics," he says. Instead, he took on more outdoor assignments; hunting, fishing, and environmental photography. Before they folded, Life let a lot of photographers go, but kept Eppridge. When the magazine ceased publication in December 1972, he moved on to Sports Illustrated, where he is still on the masthead. "I liked SI because they were doing the types of stories I enjoyed," he says. The publication sent him to Africa to do a story on poaching, which he describes as "interestingly scary." He's also covered six America's Cup competitions and five Winter Olympics. "The best-run games were in Sarajevo," Eppridge observes. "That was before the war destroyed that country." He describes his work with SI as "Sports with no balls," as he's no longer fond of shooting baseball, basketball, or football. "I prefer to do something that I've never done before," he remarks. "Rather than specialize, I'm a generalist."

When asked about advice for photographers starting out today, Eppridge emphasizes telling the truth. "I believe our world is at a time right now in which it should be documented completely." He says we should all be protectors of our environment and heritage. "If we can influence people with photographs, maybe we'll be able to maintain our planet."

See Bill Eppridge's historic photographs at Booth A-102 during Photo LA, January 13 - 17, 2011,.

Longest Running Art Fair West of New York Celebrates Its 20th Anniversary, Opens January 13

Via The ArtDaily.Org
January 12, 2011

Bill Eppridge, "Robert F. Kennedy campaigns with various aides and friends" former prizefighter Tony Zale and (right of Kennedy) N.F.L. stars Lamar Lundy, Rosey Grier, and Deacon Jones, 1968"

LOS ANGELES.- In recent years, Los Angeles has experienced a rapid growth of contemporary art galleries along with an expansion of local museum programs highlighting emerging art making it a required destination for curators and collectors. As a marketplace for the Arts, it now rivals New York City. Glenn Lowry, Director of MoMA, recently said in the WSJ, “The art world is a very fluid place, but there is no question that L.A. is very hot at the moment.”


photo l.a.XX, celebrating it’s 20th Anniversary, is the longest running art fair west of New York and is the largest photo-based art fair in the country with over 10,000 attendees. It brings together photography dealers from around the globe, displaying the finest contemporary photography, video and multi-media installations along with masterworks from the 19th century. This is the 48th art fair produced by Stephen Cohen, Director of photo l.a. XX including artLA, photo san francisco, photo MIAMI, photo santa fe, photo NY and the first vernacular photography fair in NYC.

artLA was created in 2004 as a public event bringing together a mix of national and international galleries, artists, collectors and curators for a visual dialogue on the current art scene. Its ongoing commitment to presenting the most challenging art being produced today, has led to the creation of artLA projects, an ongoing citywide program of dynamic and innovative installations, exhibitions, seminars and conversations with established and cutting-edge artists in all media.

photo l.a. XX + artLA projects, returns to the historic Santa Monica Civic with an added 7,000 square foot tented canopy entry. This grand entrance provides space for sculpture, installations, book signings and seating. Attendees will enjoy an expansive lobby that includes a Phaidon bookstore, seating area, café, coffee bar and cupcake corner. There is new VIP balcony lounge and video viewing area.

The launch of artLA projects is a prelude to a much larger artLA 2011 that will align with the Los Angeles Contemporary Art Forum, a new art fair in the fall of 2011 created by the team that produces the Armory Show, Art Chicago, Next, Art Toronto and Volta. As the City heads into the Pacific Standard Time era this fall, Los Angeles is the place to be and artLA 2011 will be the satellite fair of new and emerging art that will parallel the energy and excitement of the newest art fair coming to Los Angeles

ON THE ROAD TO PHOTO LA

Ernst Haas: Utah, 1952

We are loading the van and heading west today, next stop Photo LA January 13 - 17. Our Twitter and Facebook updates may  be a bit sparse as we drive across I-40, but we will update as possible. We hope you can visit us in booth A-102!


Related: Photo LA January 13 - 17