June 11, 2009
Most people who love music are familiar with the iconic photograph of John Lennon standing on a New York City rooftop -- arms folded in circle-sunglasses, donning a bold-lettered New York City t-shirt. Legendary rock photographer Bob Gruen is responsible for creating that image. As of yesterday, the public can see it up close at the Museum of Modern Art exhibit "Looking at Music: Side 2," exploring the creative exchange between musicians and artists in New York during the 1970s and 1980s. Bob was asked to create an enormous collage installation (spanning 7.5’ by 22.5’) of his magazine spreads, covers, and posters titled “A Rock and Roll Teenager's Bedroom Wall". Next to the installation sits a video made by Bob of bands playing at Max's Kansas City. The exhibit also displays music videos, drawings, audio recordings, and influential publications from Bob’s groundbreaking peers at the time: Patti Smith, Nan Goldin, Kim Gordon, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Robert Mapplethorpe among them.

