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Photographer Joseph A. Rosen Exhibits Open in Minneapolis

Starting May 19, 2007, the Icebox Gallery in Minneapolis, Minnesota, will present a dual exhibition by New York City-based photographer Joseph A. Rosen titled Blues Roots (Portraits of American Music Legends) and New Orleans Red. The presentation runs through September 8, 2007. The Rosen show is a must-see addition to the Minneapolis Art-A-Whirl Weekend, May 18-20.

Joseph A. Rosen talks about the exhibition: Blues Roots (Portraits of American Music Legends) - Like many of my generation I fell in love with the Blues in the late '60s. The radio hits of B.B. and Albert King and the LPs of the Butterfield Blues Band affected me greatly. I dove head first into the deep water of the Blues. I became a record collector and a Blues DJ and attended every show I could. In 1976 I made a pilgrimage to see Muddy Waters, and as a photographer it was only natural that I shoot the show. It was a life changing experience. Now 30 years later, and with somewhat broader tastes, I still shoot Blues, Jazz and Roots music at every opportunity. There is a look and a style to my work; the lone figure, often emerging from the darkness. When the photos are successful they are portraits of both the Artist and the Music. Images in this exhibit are black and white. Images include many popular and famous musicians.

New Orleans Red - New Orleans is my second home. I have visited there regularly for over 20 years. Many of my dearest friends live there. I had plans to move there, which are sadly on hold in the post Katrina world. I'm a lover of its character, its culture and its citizens. As a photographer, I always tried to capture it's uniqueness. Many years ago while editing my New Orleans photos, I realized that two of my absolute favorites, one of a lady dancing, and one of a Mardis Gras Indian, both boldly displayed the color red. I knew then that I had found the thread that would connect and unify my photos of the Crescent City. All of the photographs, either boldly or subtly, contain New Orleans Red.

Joseph A. Rosen is a New York City based professional photographer whose work has appeared in Time, Newsweek, The New York Times, Sports Illustrated and more. Corporate clients include JP Morgan/Chase Bank, American Express, Nordstrom, PepsiCo and IBM. He has been a working and exhibiting professional since prior to his graduation from Carnegie-Mellon University with a degree in Photography and Related Studies in 1973.

His music clients are some of the greatest names in the industry from Blues, R&B, Soul, Rock, Cajun/Zydeco, and Jazz, the record companies for whom they record and their management groups. Joe has received the prestigious "Keeping the Blues Alive in Photography and Art Award" for 2002. The award is presented by the Blues Foundation of Memphis, TN to an artist who has created a body of work which has brought the Blues to the public though photography and "made a significant contribution to the Blues world."



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