Bob Dylan NYC 1961-64

Photographs by Ted Russell

Curated by Chris Murray

Irish premiere exhibition of Ted Russell’s intimate, previously unseen, photographs of Bob Dylan in New York City. The photographs chronicle days in the life of the then unknown folk artist – backstage and onstage at the folk clubs, hanging out in his apartment with his girlfriend, Suze Rotolo, at his writing desk, and on the street. They give a fresh, candid glimpse of what life in Greenwich Village was like for the 20 year-old folk bard.

“This collection of photographs by Ted Russell is a unique document of Dylan’s first years as a musical artist and his genesis in Greenwich Village. In the photographs, as in Dylan’s music, we can see his conviction and compassion, his humour, and his love of song. Whether he was inspired by Little Richard, the Clancy Brothers or Woody Guthrie, Dylan remained rooted in tradition while making something contemporary and of his own time. We are enriched by this portrait of the artist as a young man.”

— Chris Murray, exhibition curator & co-author of the accompanying book

Artist Carlotta Hester, Exhibition Curator Chris Murray and Gallery of Photography Curator Tanya Kiang

Curator Chris Murray with his book on Bob Dylan

Exhibition Curator Chris Murray talking at the exhibition

Exhibition Curator Chris Murray and Artist Carlotta Hester

Gallery of Photography Curator Tanya Kiang and Artist Carlotta Hester

Gallery of Photography Curator Tanya Kiang and Exhibition Curator Chris Murray

Ted Russell took the photographs in order to pitch a story about the trials and tribulations of an up-and-coming folk singer – a theme that has recently been taken up in the acclaimed film Inside Llewyn Davis. But back then, the subject failed to drum up interest: "Saturday Evening Post editors were enthusiastic about my proof sheets... but when I played a Dylan demo record, they asked me if I was playing it at the correct speed, and they passed", Russell recalls, laughing.

After 50 years lying largely dormant in a file cabinet, the complete collection has been brought to light in Bob Dylan: NYC 1961-1964 (Rizzoli 2015). The book includes texts by Ted Russell and Chris Murray, and a foreword by Donovan.

Curator Tanya Kiang giving a talk on the exhibition

The exhibition was launched on Tuesday January 26 2016. The award-winning singer/songwriter Adrian Crowley launched the exhibition with a short performance. The Exhibition Curator Chris Murray gave a talk about the story behind Ted Russell’s photographs of Dylan, and the relationship between 20th century popular music and photography.

American artist Carlotta Hester’s work ‘The Pure Drop’ was presented during Tradfest as a companion exhibition to ‘Bob Dylan NYC 1961-64’. It captures the spirit of traditional music that was such a major inspiration for Dylan back in the sixties. The exhibition consists of 24 drawings made in County Cavan during the summers of 2010 to 2012. They are renderings of traditional Irish musicians, singers and dancers captured at the height of their creative flow. ‘The Pure Drop’ is a forwardlooking celebration of the artistry of deep-rooted Irish traditions which continue to thrive today.

About Ted Russell, the photographer:

Ted Russell is an American photographer and photojournalist whose work has appeared on the covers of Life, Newsweek, Time, and New York magazines, to name only a few. Born in London, he worked in Fleet St, Brussels and Frankfurt before moving to New York. Drafted into the US Army, he served as unit photographer in the Korean War. After attending the University of California at Berkeley, he returned to New York and became a regular contributing photographer for Life for over 12 years, and he was later Cover Photo Editor of Newsweek for 11 years. Russell has won numerous awards, and his work has been exhibited at the International Center of Photography and the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

About Chris Murray, the curator:

Chris Murray is a writer and founder of Govinda Gallery, Washington DC, which represents some of the best rock music–related fine art photography and photographers in the world. Murray has organized over 200 exhibitions of many of the leading artists of our time, from Andy Warhol in the 1970s to Annie Leibovitz’s first exhibition in 1984. He is co-curator of the Smithsonian Institution’s exhibition Elvis at 21 and is the author or editor of over a dozen books, including Alfred Wertheimer’s Elvis and the birth of rock and roll; Dick Waterman Between Midnight and Day: the last unpublished blues archive, and The Rolling Stones 50x20.

About Carlotta Hester, the artist:

Carlotta Hester gained a BFA from Washington University, St Louis, MO and has exhibited in Washington DC, in Ireland and in Cuba. She combines her art practice with art teaching, and has been the art teacher at the prestigious Maret School since 1994. She received the Fishman Fellow Award for Outstanding Teaching in 2012. She is represented by Govinda Gallery, Washington DC.

Acknowledgments: This exhibition is presented in partnership with Govinda Gallery, Washington DC. It is kindly supported by Tradfest. The Gallery of Photography is supported by The Arts Council and by Dublin City Council.