He captured a host of greats

MORRISTOWN, NJ (PNAN) – Viewing through Sunday, February 5, 2023, “RetroBlakesberg Captured on Film: 1978-2008” is the first solo museum retrospective of the photography by Jay Blakesberg at the Morris Museum.

Suburban New Jersey in the 1970s was a time of just a few TV channels and radio stations that pumped out the soundtrack of our lives, and vinyl records that crackled day and night in Jay’s bedroom. His photographic journey began in Clark, New Jersey in 1978, photographing the bands he loved and the friends in his world.

In his basement darkroom, he pumped out 8×10’s to thumbtack to his bedroom wall. His only goal to create his own personal memorabilia, but without knowing it then, these earliest photographs would become the foundation for Jay’s extensive archive.

These inspiring songs by artists Bob Dylan, Neil Young and The Grateful Dead, Jay was beginning to photograph and set young Blakesberg’s imagination free and put him on the path to document the musicians whose songs would become his first muse.

At 16 years old, he had his first photograph published in print and at 17 was paid for the first time by the Aquarian Weekly for two photos that ran with a review of a Grateful Dead concert. These were the first sparks that ignited what has now become a 44 year photography career shooting for every major magazine of the last 30 years, record companies, and directly for some of the most renowned musical artists of our time.

     In RetroBlakesburg, each gallery features a different aspect of Jay’s body of work; early formative years, live performance, and portraitures. Artists in this exhibition include, the Grateful Dead, Rolling Stones, Nirvana, Green Day, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Radiohead, The Flaming Lips, and many more.

For more on Jay and the book, Retroblakesberg Volume 1: The Film Archives see: www.blakesberg.com.

“RetroBlakesberg Captured on Film: 1978-2008” iMorris Museum.