Art Kane

ArtKane_ 001 The Who, New York City, 1968. Copyright © Art Kane Archive. All Rights Reserved.

In a career that spanned nearly 50 years, first as an art director and later as a photographer, Art Kane explored a number of genres, including fashion, editorial and celebrity portraiture, with a crisp and deliberate approach that was also innovative.

Kane started his career at the age of 25 designing page layouts at Esquire magazine. At 27, he was named art director of Seventeen magazine, the youngest art director at a major magazine in New York City. Kane went on to receive 14 medals and 24 awards of distinctive merit from the Art Directors Club of New York.

kane coverIn 1958, Kane assembled 58 of the greatest legends in jazz in what was to become his most recognized image, Harlem, 1958. The documentary film A Great Day in Harlem was made about this photo. In the 1960s and 1970s, Kane photographed many of the most celebrated musical acts of the time, including the Rolling Stones, Cream, the Doors, Janis Joplin, Bob Dylan and The Who.

Art Kane’s contributions to the medium of photography continue to resonate throughout the industry today. His work remains unmatched.

Govinda Gallery hosted an exhibition of Art Kane’s photographs in 2002. His photographs were featured in the touring exhibition Sound and Vision: Monumental Rock & Roll Photography, organized by Govinda Gallery and The Columbus Museum.

Kane was one of the most profoundly influential art directors and photographers to have emerged in post-war New York. His contributions to the medium of photography still resonate throughout the industry today. A comprehensive book of his work, Art Kane, was released in December 2014 from Reel Art Press.

Click to view slideshow. All images Copyright © Art Kane Archive. All Rights Reserved.

Art Kane’s photographs are available through Govinda Gallery.

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