Thursday, May 19, 2022, at 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
C. Parker Gallery
409 Greenwich Ave
Greenwich, CT 06830
The odds are if you were a music fan in the seventies, you had one of James Fortunes’ photographs on a poster on your wall. His large posters (42” x 58”) featuring collages of his photographs sold over 700,000 copies in just 5 years. His work includes artists such as Elton John, Led Zeppelin, Paul McCartney & Wings, Jethro Tull, Mick Jagger, The Doors, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Buffet, Robert Plant, The Who, Rolling Stones, and more.
Already a nationally published photographer in college, Fortune approached record companies to see if he could gain access to their artists for inclusion in the Pierce College newspaper in Los Angeles. To his surprise, Elektra Records immediately invited him to a local recording studio to photograph The Doors who were in the middle of putting together their “Strange Days” album.
After college, Fortune joined the United States Navy as a combat photographer with Pacific Fleet Combat Camera Group and spent six months in Viet Nam. After his stint with the Armed Forces, Fortune was appointed the official photographer for NARM (National Association of Recording Merchandisers). This gave him unprecedented access to top recording artists of the day both in concert and in candid moments from 1974 through the end of the decade.
Many of his shots are iconic such as Robert Plant with a dove in one hand, a bottle of booze, and a cigarette in the other. His photos have been featured on many albums including Led Zeppelin’s “How The West Was Won” and “Mothership,” Iggy Pop’s “California Bleeding” and “Ray Manzarek’s “The Whole Thing Started with Rock & Roll” as well as books such as “Hammer of the Gods, The Led Zeppelin Saga” “The Doors” written by the Doors and Ben Fong-Torres, Doors’ guitarist Robby Krieger’s new autobiography and more. Several of his photos are also part of the permanent collection at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and his photo of Led Zeppelin graced the cover of the Smithsonian Institutes’ coffee table book “Rock & Roll: Live & Unseen”
James Fortune will appear at the gallery on the opening weekend (Thursday, May 19 through Saturday, May 21) and showcase a specially curated collection of his photographs and artwork through Sunday, May 30.
This event is part of an ongoing series by C. Parker Gallery that focuses on the intimate connection between the music and art worlds, as well as providing family events that connect individuals of all ages to art. The exhibit is free and all works are available for purchase.
C. Parker Gallery is thrilled to provide this limited engagement showing and buying opportunity for music and art enthusiasts and their families.
James Fortune Appearance Hours:
Thursday, May 19th, 5pm – 8 pm Friday, May 20th, 11 am – 6 pm Saturday, May 21st, 11 am – 6 pm
Regular exhibition hours: 11am – 6pm