The photo exhibit Occupation Dreamer: The Photography of Moshe Brakha will make its public debut at The GRAMMY Museum® at L.A. LIVE on May 14th, 2009. On display through August 9, 2009, the exhibit includes dozens of photographs never-before-seen on the West Coast, taken between 1976 and 1986 in New York, London, Beverly Hills, Dallas and Hollywood, by world renowned photographer Moshe Brakha.
Occupation Dreamer contains 30 black-and-white and color photos of such legendary music artists as Madonna, Ringo Starr, The Beastie Boys, Black Flag, Bobby Womack, Miles Davis, Sting, George Thorogood, David Lee Roth, David Byrne, Devo, Diana Ross, Elvis Costello, Joni Mitchell, Madness, Johnny Ray, The Ramones, Run DMC, Sammy Hagar, Neil Young, Blackie Lawless, The Cars, Sparks, The Weirdos, Rod Falconer, The Thompson Twins and The Screamers, among others.
Regarding the exhibit, Brakha, who is currently celebrating his 40th year as a Hollywood-based advertising photographer, said, “Occupation Dreamer is how I saw myself during the 1970s and the 1980s, when I was friends and neighbors with many of the most popular punk and garage bands in Los Angeles. I knew punk music from the day it was born-it was the music of my generation, and I was fortunate enough to have played a part during this period. Many of the musicians and bands I photographed back then were penniless and unknowns – they, too, were ‘Occupation Dreamers.’ My job was to capture an era of music that was part of my soul-punk. I used to bring my camera with me all the time to watch early performances of Devo, The Screamers and a lot of other long-gone bands, when they played the Whisky A-Go-Go, the Starwood Club and Madame Wu’s West. There were no egos then-no barriers between these musicians and my camera lens. We all just shared a common love of punk music, and we all lived the punk music lifestyle.”
“The GRAMMY Museum is thrilled to host Occupation Dreamer as our first special photographic exhibit,” said Chief Curator Ken Luftig Viste. “Moshe Brakha’s photographs, like our exhibits, provide an intimate, compelling look at music and music-makers.”
For more info, please see: www.grammymuseum.org
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ABOUT MOSHE BRAKHA:
Born in Israel and “re-born” in Hollywood in 1969, Moshe Brakha has been captivating the photographic and television worlds with his cutting edge classic photography and film for over four decades. Beginning with an album cover for Boz Scaggs’ renowned LP Silk Degrees, and photo shoots for Rolling Stone Magazine, Brakha’s subsequent print and television work has blazed new trails in the fashion and advertising worlds ever since. With celebrated ad campaigns for Air Walk, Skyy Vodka, Martini and Rossi, Camel Cigarettes, Adidas, Candies, Best Buy, Motorola, and everything in between, Brakha has earned an international reputation as one of the world’s most artistic and accomplished photographers.
The winner of numerous international awards and honors for both his print and television work, Brakha has also photographed numerous celebrities, ranging from Reese Witherspoon and Tom Hanks, to Samuel L. Jackson, George Clooney, Charlize Theron, Alyssa Milano, Will Smith, Keanu Reeves and Christina Aguilera, along with a host of other luminaries. His work has been featured prominently within the pages of Entertainment Weekly, Details, Newsweek and Conde Nast Traveler. He has also directed hundreds of TV commercials worldwide, gaining his greatest notoriety with his black-and-white “Martini Man” saga for Martini and Rossi.
Recently, Brakha joined creative forces with his son Eddie Brakha to form a father/son directorial team. For more information, please see: www.moshebrakha.com and commercialhead.com
NOTE: For those interested in purchasing any of the Occupation Dreamer photographs, please contact Buddy Joe, Executive Producer, Commercial Head Films, at 323.658.6541.
ABOUT THE GRAMMY MUSEUM:
Launched in December 2008 in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the GRAMMY® Awards, The GRAMMY Museum explores and celebrates the enduring legacies of all forms of music; the creative process; the art and technology of the recording process; and the history of the GRAMMY® Awards, the premier recognition of recorded music accomplishment. The GRAMMY Museum is an exciting and interactive celebration of the power of music occupying a vibrant new space in downtown Los Angeles-engaging, educational, celebratory and inspirational.
The GRAMMY Museum is a one-of-a-kind, 30,000 square foot museum with interactive, permanent and traveling exhibits. The museum has four floors of dynamic and stimulating exhibit space, and features more than two-dozen exhibits that explore the greatest GRAMMY music, everything from rock and hip-hop to country, classical, Latin, R&B, and jazz.
In addition, The GRAMMY Museum has a 200 seat state-of-the-art GRAMMY Sound Stage, a roof top terrace for special programs and private events, and presents interesting and thought-provoking educational and programs to the public, including films, lectures and performances. For more info, please see: www.grammymuseum.org