The Rock & Sole Gallery

proudly announces

its inaugural photo exhibition

 

Doing the time warp back to the hey-day of Los Angeles’s rockin’ Sunset Strip, photographer Greg Papazian unearths his original photography of the rock and roll bands of the 1970’s and early 80’s.  Scheduled to open at Papazian’s gallery in Sherman Oaks on Saturday, December 6th, 2008, the show celebrates some of the most influential legends of rock and roll history.   

Picking up the camera at an early age, Papazian experienced the electrifying music of the 1970’s and 80’s from behind the lens of his 35mm Nikon camera.  In the spirit of the times, he would hitchhike from his after-school job over Laurel Canyon to Hollywood, to photograph the glamorous rock and roll scene of the Sunset Strip.  By the age of 17, he was the House Photographer for the Whiskey A Go Go and staff photographer for Phonograph Record Magazine.  Capturing icons like: Led Zeppelin, Peter Frampton, George Carlin, Ike & Tina Turner, The Kinks, Rod Stewart & The Faces, and The Bee Gees, Papazian soon became the House Photographer for infamous venues like The Roxy and The Palace Theatres. 

Almost thirty years after the lights flashed and faded on some of history’s biggest rock and roll stars, Papazian, at the age of 54, has rediscovered his illustrious collection of original prints.  A compilation of Papazian’s most treasured memories, both on and behind the stage, the show is a rare anthology of candid moments.  Encapsulating the era, the photographs tour through late nights at fevered concerts, followed by after-after parties at infamous Hollywood hot-spots like the Hyatt House (aka the “Riot House”).  Rubbing elbows with the Hollywood elite, Papazian was the Almost Famous of rock photography.

Specializing in concert photography, about 95% of the photographs were shot with an 85mm lens, enabling Papazian to catch compression-free photos while maintaining the maximum depth of field at a very close distance.  Papazian controls all aspects of the photographic process, including everything from the processing of the film to the matting and framing.  This personal direction makes each piece a superior quality photographic print.  The format for the show is gelatin silver prints, large format digital prints, and mixed media.