“Johnny B. Goode,” 1993. Jerry Garcia, band member of the Grateful Dead, photographed by Wayne Cable in Chicago, 1993/Courtesy of the gallery
On April 17, 1993, Jerry Garcia was in Chicago for a concert of the legendary Grateful Dead as well as a show of his artwork. During an interview with Victoria Lautman for WBEZ, Chicago photographer Wayne Cable photographed Garcia as he answered Lautman’s questions.
This small show, featuring only a half-dozen images from that interview, says a lot about Garcia. In a couple, he gazes directly at the viewer. It’s a face that launched thousands of garage-rock bands, filled with intensity and purpose. I’m certain Grateful Dead fans would be fascinated with these images of their hero. Cable also attended and shot at the concert from way down front, and the image of Garcia in concert, hair flying, effectively conjures the time and the music.
“Captain Trips,” 1993. Black-and-white photograph, 16 x 20/Photo: Wayne Cable, courtesy of the gallery
The most fascinating image for me is a black-and-white where smoke drifts across Garcia’s face. It appears to have been manipulated, but to great effect—it’s moody, evocative and mysterious, and easily my favorite in the show. The other piece of interest is a photomontage from the shoot featuring a loosely gridded set of photographs of Garcia that vaguely approximates a contact sheet. The variety of expressions it holds from the interview are worth a look. In several, Lautman’s extended arm holding the microphone out toward Garcia adds a bit of humor and sets the scene.
There is some of Cable’s personal work on the opposite wall, but none of it comes close to the Garcia portraits. Ken Saunders, who has long been known for glass and neon art, steps out of his comfort zone with this show, but it’s worth a visit, especially if you’re a Deadhead. There are also two small drawings of Garcia’s on the wall—there were three, but Saunders sold one at the opening for $6,000. Jerry Garcia lives on in his drawings and in Cable’s photographs.
“Wayne Cable: Wayne Sees Jerry,” Ken Saunders Gallery, 2041 West Carroll, on view through June 23.
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