Larry Wolfley photo exhibit!
East Bay drunk-punk documentarian and perennial MRR photo contributor Larry Wolfley is having a reception for his exhibit, “Loud and Fast: 15 years of Punk Rock Performances,” this Saturday at the Photolab Gallery at 2235 Fifth Street in Berkeley. The party lasts from 6 to 8pm, or until the cops come shut it down. You can see the exhibit through June 5th at that location.
Here what the official web page has to say about it:
“Pure energy is one of my constant themes, I think. To me, it means life, action, being alive.”
The present exhibit is a selection of some of Larry Wolfley’s best and most well-known band shots from the past 15 years. These images, captured on the fly, document the energy and controlled chaos which are always part of the shows, and exhibit the performance art elements which are central to punk rock. The focus may be on the band as a whole or individuals members, on the audience or the interaction of band and audience, or on the celebrations by certain fans.
The images are captured on black and white film and printed on silver gelatin paper.
The artist says: “My work tends to be sharp and focused, whereas a lot of punk photography uses slow sync and blurred action effects. My artistic choice is based on the idea that if we’re using the artificial effect of black and white, then we might as well see all the details. The downside is that the flash washes out all the ambient light and even stage lights that we normally are aware of, and aware of in color. So there is nothing real about what I’m doing. It’s graphic, arrangements in space. “
Punk rock is a way of life, and these images bear witness to the vitality, democracy and continuing evolution on the form.
