Alone cello player sits on top a solitary pinnacle towering above a demon’s hole. Above her head, ravens circle. They’re watching her choreograph her last rites with each draw of her bow. A giant guitar is hoisted out of a pit in a desert mine landscape. Miners oversee the guitar’s unearthing. A beautiful woman’s severed head rests on the wastelands. Her closed eyes and decorated face tell the story of her last breath. All these improbable realities are narratives created by celebrated photographer Glen Wexler. Known for his concepts and creative skill with the lens, Wexler has had a long and storied career that spans decades.
His narratives are both captivating and alluring. The incredible situations within his storytelling are a single frame destine to reside in the dark parts of your mind. Wexler is at heart a storyteller. He can spin a yarn in a still frame that’s such a fish tale you’ll either laugh, or scratch your head wondering is that real?
Malibu Arts Journal conducted a Q&A with Wexler to find out how he creates his outrageous worlds seen on hundreds of album covers. Some of his answers were surprising.
Q&A:
MAJ: How do you accomplish shots like the huge guitar rising out of the giant sand pit in Dig for Heaven and Earth’s album cover, or the female cello player seemingly sitting on an isolated pinnacle in Sold Our Soul from The Greatest Album Covers That Never Were from the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame exhibition, or the woman’s head sitting on top of the wastelands titled Beautiful Monster for Dilana?
WEXLER: With my narrative work, it’s a process that begins with pre-visualizing the idea. I’ll have a concept rendering created if I need to show a client, or engage set or model builders. The next step is deconstructing a complex or improbable vision into manageable elements to be individually photographed or modeled in CGI. I also use background images of skies and landscapes from my archives. The elements are finally seamed together in the post-production. Everything is planned in advance. I want to spend as little time as possible with the computer. I strongly adhere to the premise that the essence of the final image is created in camera.
Denne historien er fra December 2017-utgaven av Malibu Arts Journal.
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Denne historien er fra December 2017-utgaven av Malibu Arts Journal.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Black And White Bohemia Pamela Springsteen
Her photos are intimate, not just of a famous brother but also of trees in the middle of Mississippi.
The Musical Poetry of Jardín Gabriel Garzón-Montano
He’s a critically acclaimed multi-instrumentalist and songwriter who has toured internationally. His multicultural roots are evident in his lyrics and song tiles, like Sour Mango and Fruitflies. Signing on with Stones Throw Records, his debut album, Jardín, reflects fresh poeticism, complex musical layers and a unique international style.
The Improbable Worlds of Glen Wexler
Alone cello player sits on top a solitary pinnacle towering above a demon’s hole. Above her head, ravens circle. They’re watching her choreograph her last rites with each draw of her bow. A giant guitar is hoisted out of a pit in a desert mine landscape. Miners oversee the guitar’s unearthing. A beautiful woman’s severed head rests on the wastelands. Her closed eyes and decorated face tell the story of her last breath. All these improbable realities are narratives created by celebrated photographer Glen Wexler. Known for his concepts and creative skill with the lens, Wexler has had a long and storied career that spans decades.
Rock And Roll Still Frames Jérôme Brunet
Jérôme Brunet’s photographs are narrative. They tell a story of a rock legend on stage in the moment that artist has captured the audience’s heart and imagination.
Lili Haydn And Opium Moon: Kama Sutra Music
Opium Moon plays Kama Sutra music. Her violin weeps the notes of a love ballad. The bow is at times ecstatic and at others barely touching the strings. As she performs, we’re transported to another universe. There are overtones of Itzhak Perlman in her fingers, and Isaac Stern in her bow. Best of all, in her facial expressions you will find the plateaued emotions of her musical performance. Her whole body is into it, like a violent ballet. This is Lili Haydn with Opium Moon.
Showcase : Maureen Haldeman's Sea Mirror Photography
Maureen Haldeman captures the sea world like it was a mirror. Her images are impressionistic. She keeps an open shutter that creates a lasting impression of a fragmentary moment in time. Her images open the eye to the natural beauty of Malibu and the Southern California coastline. She has a keen eye for capturing a moment in camera.
Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes
Timeless blues, rock and jazz by way of New Jersey.
Marcus Jansen - Between Fact And Fiction
Approaching one of Marcus Jansen’s canvasses is like getting your bearings after having your brain rattled by a near explosion.
Review: Marcus Jansen Examine & Report
There’s a shot late in Emmy Award Winning director John Schoular’s incisive documentary Examine and Report that sums up what’s so fascinating about artist Marcus Jansen and his work.
Arch Motorcyle: Art In Motion
The process of creating a motorcycle is art, at least it is at Arch Motorcycle.
