Mr. Graham...Berkeley 1969.

My dad might give me shit for posting this but I have to....and I think the FBI has closed that case by now! haha.


People's Park riots. The UCB administration wanted to turn a nice little park into a parking lot. Bad idea. Berkeley students had to hold down their revolutionary hippie stomping grounds...and were already fired up from sticking it to the man about the war and free speech and all. They pretty much raised hell. Reagan called in the National Guard who came in real tough with tanks. My dad was in the thick of it...here he is throwing a tear gas grenade back at the National Guard. Say whaaaaaat?!

I've tried to find the photographer who made the picture. It was for the college paper, the Daily Californian...but wasn't published to protect my dad from criminal charges. If anyone out there knows who took it...please get in touch.

update...

I found a similar series of Clinton's administration published by Vanity Fair in '93...here's all three (click to enlarge):


"The Family", Richard Avedon. published by Rolling Stone, 1976The New Guard, Annie Leibovitz. published by Vanity Fair, 1993Obama's People, Nadav Kander. published by the New York Times Magazine, 2009.

Frans Ferndinand - Ulysses

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Digging through the archives...Dowtown Oakland Mural

©Peter Graham

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Avedon's "The Family"

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I was in DC two days after the election and went to an exhibit of Richard Avedon's work titled "Portraits of Power". One of the bodies of work on display was "The Family". Commissioned by Rolling Stone, it was a year long project to photograph the men and women Avedon understood to make up the political leadership of the United States in 1976.

This week the NY Times sunday magazine published a portrait series of Obama's team, inspired by Avedon's "The Family" series.
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I was very moved by Avedon's "The Family". The images are strong and formal yet provide a rare intimate look directly into the eyes of some of the world's most powerful people. The subject matter provide much of the impact of the series, but Avedon's stunning aesthetic treatment takes it over the top. I think it stands out even more when compared to the Times "Obama's People" series. It looks so digital!! Why would they commission this series of historical magnitude, which they acknowledge was inspired by "The Family" and have an amazing photographer (Nadav Kander) who has a classic-not-so-digital aesthetic, and shoot this so digi looking? Maybe they're onto some cutting edge look? (or putting practical considerations ahead of aesthetic ones?) Maybe this look will represent our generation? I hope not.


***to all current and potential clients: I can put your practical needs first...I am not one of those difficult to work with artists! :-) :-) happy happy! Requests for digital have resulted in great work. www.petergraham.com >> Can YOU guess what's digital and what's film??

K'NAAN

Great to see his music getting out there.

©Peter Graham

I shot his last album cover. I first met with him while he was recording a song with Damian Marley...can't wait for that one to come out.