Photographs of ‘The Band’ define an era
Beauty, harmony and composition. That is the essence of the work of acclaimed photographer Elliott Landy, known for his iconic images of the underground rock scene in New York City during 1967 and the anti-Vietnam War movement that sparked a schism in the establishment and counterculture movement of that time. And then there was a certain music and arts festival in 1969 called Woodstock that took place in the hills of Sullivan County, where Landy, who was an official photographer for the fest, documented a music scene that defined a generation. A Woodstock resident himself, Landy photographed Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and The Band, among others during those short two years. The latter is the subject of his latest endeavor, a gallery-quality book of some unpublished and classic photographs of The Band, whose members also called Woodstock home. The photographer recently took the time to talk to the Journal about his new book.
Tell us about the photographs in “The Band Photographs: 1968-1969” and why you decided to release them now?
It’s a collection of the really good photographs that I took back in those years. And by really good, I mean, in my opinion. In those years, there wasn’t so much electronic media as there is now, and in order to publish a picture it had to be accepted by a magazine or published in a book. If I had taken those pictures today, three quarters of them would have been out there on the Internet already. People are hungry for that. If the record album company didn’t use them, they had no use for them. And if there was a magazine article, they would use maybe 20 total for all possible media. Over half of them were never seen before, except by me, as I walked back and forth in my studio, looking at the boxes. I used to look at them every so often and think – these are really nice pictures. Not because they were of The Band; I felt they were good photographs which just happened to be of these guys.
What is the story you want these photographs to tell to readers?
Beauty — I wanted to share the feeling of who The Band was, and the harmony and composition of the images show that. The content is almost secondary, it’s part of the decision to show the picture or not. I’m interested in showing a beautifully composed image and that affects you inside. In today’s world, in my opinion, the idea of harmony in a photo is almost ignored.
How long did it take to produce the new book?
It took about two years for it to come out. I had mentioned it to publishers, and told them the way I wanted to do this book, but there was never any interest. I had 12,000 negatives and slides. I realized that with Kickstarter it would be possible to do it my way. My experience with book publishers is like a see-saw – up and down. I never had a bad experience, but it was never “my book.” I wanted to make an art gallery quality book – what you have in your hands is that. I raised $193,000 from Kickstarter — the highest funded photo book in Kickstarter history. It took that much and more to get this done the way I wanted it.
Were there any revelatory moments putting together the photographs? What stands out most?
The process of doing it and the success I had doing it. In theory, I knew what I wanted to do. One picture to a page – opposing pages – no text or page numbers. What I do is create visual harmony. I wanted people to be able to immerse themselves in the photographs. I didn’t know for certain that I had done it until I saw the printed book and then thought, this is fabulous.
Why did you decide to use a trifold sheet instead of a regular index and captions on the photos?
I decided not to put captions or page numbers on the same page as full-page photos because they would take people away from the power of a pure visual experience. The captions are in the back of the book. I also added a fold-out sheet (trifold sheet) to the Deluxe and Signature editions so that readers would not have to go back and forth to see the caption information while reading the book.
Is there one favorite photograph that best captures the essence of The Band?
There are three that come to mind – the one that was on ‘Big Pink,’ the second one is the one of them taken from the back, sitting in front of the pond at Big Pink and the third is the five of them standing under the roof shed of a barn, laughing, getting out of the rain. The ‘Big Pink’ album photos show them as timeless, serious, statuesque people. The one from behind shows their ethereal nature; the one of them in the rain shows their, “We will do whatever it takes” attitude. They were very special people, unusual people — wise and grounded people.
Do you stick to a certain theme in your work or like to explore new techniques and subjects?
I never have stayed with one theme or genre of photography. The rock ’n’ roll period I am known for was only a year and a half. And after that, I photographed my wife and children for eight years. I rarely go out and look to take photographs. I take pictures during the course of things I do in my life. I have to be inspired to take a photo. I can be lazy. I started shooting Super 8 in the ’70s and then video, and am now working on a form of interactive music and video — a new way to experience video and music. It is an app, for both the computer and mobile phones and tablets. I call it LandyVision. It’s not released yet.
Do you think creative individuals like yourself perceive the world differently from other people?
I don’t know. My wife thinks I’m very odd – odd means different. I guess I perceive the world differently. I see beauty and form, and I want to capture and share it. When I see a beautiful flower, I see the form and I see something I want to capture and share.
What do you think the most important thing is for a photographer to learn, technically speaking?
I guess it’s hard to select any one thing. My aesthetic is in line with the traditional photographic rules — you should be able to see detail in your photographs. The light areas should not be washed out, the dark areas should have some detail, the colors and tones should be rich. A lot of what you see today does not fit this aesthetic. Learn how to edit your own work, how to say, “This is good, this is not good.” Limit what they show to other people to the best. Only show your best work. If not, then you get the ho-hum response. I tell people I am not a great photographer, but I am a great editor. We’ll see another Band book in the future.
What is your personal vision for your work?
The same as always — a sense of beauty and harmony, a sense of wonder. I want somebody to look at a picture and to understand the humility of being human. To say, ‘Isn’t this gorgeous, aren’t we in awe that beauty like this can exist, aren’t we glad to be alive.’
Who are some of your favorite photographers?
Cartier-Bresson; W. Eugene Smith; Elliott Erwitt; Franco Fontana. And my step-son and his wife, Christine and Gregg Klayman, they’ve taken a photo every day of their son and they are astounding — 25 percent of them should be on a museum wall, but they keep them private. And anyone who takes a picture because they love what they are seeing and want to capture it.
How does your background contribute to your process as a photographer?
I was born into a middle-class family. They wanted me to go into business and make money. I went to school for business administration, and thought I should be an accountant or a lawyer. But I couldn’t force myself to do it. I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. One day, I was in New York City and saw something beautiful, and I looked around to point it out to show someone, and there was no one around. So I thought, I should get a camera. Every beginning photographer needs to be told by someone they respect that their pictures are good. Just that one affirmation to affirm that they are on a valid path in life.
Contact Community Contact Editor Barbara Gallo Farrell at bfarrell@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4979; Twitter: @PJBarb
On the Web
Elliott Landy: www.landyvision.com