Frank Stefanko

by Chris Murray on December 19, 2012

Bruce Springsteen, Corvette Winter, 1978. Copyright ©Frank Stefanko. All Rights Reserved.

Govinda Gallery hosted Frank Stefanko’s first exhibition of his photographs of Bruce Springsteen, in September 2003. When Frank first showed his photographs of Springsteen a year earlier to gallery director Chris Murray, Murray instantly recognized them as classic images of Springsteen, at a crucial time in his musical career.

Stefanko’s exhibition at Govinda was also a launch for his book Days of Hope and Dreams: An Intimate Portrait of Bruce Springsteen (Insight Editions, 2003). Springsteen contributed an introduction to the book and in it he wrote; “Frank always shot your internal life… His photos had a purity and poetry… He showed me the people I was writing about in my songs. He showed me the part of me that was still one of them.” Chris Murray edited Days of Hope and Dreams and in the foreword he writes: “Springsteen’s music has entered the American vernacular. Frank Stefanko’s photographs, like Bruce Springsteen’s songs, won’t fade away.”

Since the time of Stefanko’s first exhibition at Govinda in 2003 he has gone on to exhibit his work in museums and galleries internationally.

Exhibit Photo Gallery. Click on an image to launch slideshow.

Patti Smith, The Portal, 1974. Copyright ©Frank Stefanko. All Rights Reserved.

Govinda Gallery also presented Frank Stefanko’s first exhibition of his remarkable photographs of Patti Smith, in September 2006. Frank and Patti have been friends since 1965 when they were in college together in New Jersey. Stefanko’s photographs of Patti Smith are a compelling and essential document of the poet, musician, and artist. That exhibition also celebrated the publication of Patti Smith: American Artist (Insight Editions, 2006). Lenny Kaye contributed an introduction to the book and in it he writes: “Frank was there to record that first flash of solar flare, when we plugged into poetry’s kilowatts.” Govinda’s Chris Murray edited Patti Smith: American Artist and wrote the afterword.

Frank Stefanko’s photographs are available through Govinda Gallery.

Days of Hope and Dreams: An Intimate Portrait of Bruce Springsteen (Insight Editions, 2003), and Patti Smith: American Artist (Insight Editions, 2006) by Frank Stefanko.

Category: Artists   

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