Along with being a rock legend and New York City icon, Lou Reed is also a talented photographer. Who knew? Having previously published two books with Edition 7L/Steidl featuring his photography, Lou Reed's New York and Emotion in Action, Reed collaborated with the imprint again and just released Romanticism, a series of "stunning black and white and color images of landscapes and architectural motifs, shot on the artist's travels to Scotland, Denmark, Big Sur and elsewhere," (from the exhibit's press release). To coincide with the release of the new title, Steven Kasher is exhibiting in its back gallery approximately a dozen photos featured in the book.
"The photographs are taken with a specially altered digital camera, which gives them an aura of strangeness, or otherworldliness. They have a timeless quality but are simultaneously very modern, like Reed himself." As the press release aptly states, Reed's "name has become synonymous with the New York avant-garde, and with the city itself. With his photography, Reed has been moving out of New York, while his first collection featured portraits of the city, this new one focuses on more pastoral settings." I think it's great Reed is shooting other countries and locales and isn't pigeon-holing himself to NYC, but I admit I do find it a little odd and funny imagining the very urban Reed in "pastoral settings" in his "shiny, shiny, shiny boots of leather."
The title of his book and the exhibit, Romanticism, refers to "the 18th and 19th century art movement that sought a return to the emotion, beauty, and unknowability of the natural as a counterpoint to industrial era’s emphasis on technological development and the pursuit of rational knowledge. Reed’s images recall this impulse: they focus on the aesthetic and the sublime..." Reed's camera captures some haunting and breathtaking idyllic scenes, dreamy respites from the chaotic city he is so associated with. Learn more at Stevenkasher.com. Check out Reed's website at Loureed.com and have a peek inside the book Romanticism at Steidlville.com. Through January 9, 2010.
Untitled "Big Sur 2", 2005-2008
Untitled "Big Sur 6" and Untitled "Big Sur 5", 2005-2008
Untitled "Ruin", Untitled "Man", Untitled "Castle", 2005-2008
Untitled "Statue", Untitled "Trees", 2005-2008
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