Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/6609
40 LIVEMAGS.NET FEBRUARY>>10 Writer>>Dalia van Den BoogaarD photographs>>Jeff Dunas Listening to Jeff Dunas talk about the blues is like listening to Roger Ebert talk about film: both are knowledgeable authorities, engaging storytellers, and avid fans. In the case of Dunas, he is also an award-winning photographer whose perceptive artistry is on display in the exhibition "State of the Blues: The Living Legend of the Delta," now open at MUZEO in Anaheim. Whether it's a scene that depicts the daylight solitude outside the Checkerboard Lounge or an image that highlights every hair, every line, and every pore on David "Honeyboy" Edwards' grizzly face, Dunas has connected with and recorded it. The connection is the key: without his longtime love of the blues inspiring him to plunge into this project, Dunas would merely have taken pictures of faces instead of creating portraits of souls. The importance of "State of the Blues" cannot be overstated: it is the first large-scale photographic documentary of the men and women who have defined the blues in our time. With over 100 photographs taken over a five-year period, the exhibit honors the living legends of the Mississippi Delta blues and the corners of the world that they call home. Dunas photographed both the well-known seminal artists, like John Lee Hooker and B.B. King, as well as those whose names are less familiar but whose voices have been just as strong in shaping this original American musical genre into an influential art form. "I've listened to blues my whole life," Dunas said. "As a kid, I thought the Yardbirds and lots of these British Invasion bands were geniuses, and I didn't know that they were covering legendary American blues music because blues wasn't played on the radio in L.A., where I INFO MUZEO 241 South Anaheim Boulevard, Anaheim (714) 956-8936 | www.muzeo.org state of the blues MUZEO pRESEnTS ALIvE AnD KICKIng grew up. Then, as I discovered and really got deep into blues music, I realized that this [type of project] had not been done; I hadn't seen a really serious documentary photographic project of the kind that I would have liked to do." Although Dunas undertook the project on his own, the Aperture Foundation took a great interest in his work and published his comprehensive series of blues photographs in a book called State of the Blues, available for purchase in MUZEO's gift shop. The book is the basis for the exhibition, which has traveled across the U.S. and in Europe. "The fact that there are over 90,000 copies in print is a remarkable testament to the interest in the music and the people that made the music," Dunas noted. "As a photographer and as a portrait artist," he continued, "it's rare to have a project in which you can encompass nearly the entire parameters of a given subject. In my particular case, I was fortunate to have been able to do that." The stunning photographs evoke the spirit from which the blues arose. Dunas reveals a lifetime of experience in each face and a history of moments in each place. On display are photographs that capture the dignity of those who have lived and breathed the blues, some dressed regally and others humbly, some grinning broadly and others gazing pensively into Dunas' lens. The landmarks, birthplaces, and gravestones that tell the story of this enduring music are also featured, from ramshackle cabins of struggling sharecroppers to pulsating juke joints that fostered expressiveness and escape to the final resting spot of Robert Johnson, arguably the greatest blues musician that ever lived. Traveling along the same Blues Highway and byways that carried the blues from new Orleans through the Mississippi Delta to Memphis and Sweet Home Chicago, Dunas has captured it all and compiled a masterful collection. "This exhibition is for anyone who has ever been moved by the soulful sound of the blues," said peter Comiskey, executive director of MUZEO. "The portraits and imagery on display poignantly portray the essence of this quintessentially American music and the environment out of which this great songbook has emanated – it's an exhibit of truly powerful imagery." The music that moves us today – rock 'n roll, rhythm and blues, soul, rap – sprang forth from the blues, whose heart still beats with vigor. paying homage to its landmarks and luminaries, this photographic project is so impressive that it earned the renowned Jeff Dunas yet another accolade, a Keeping the Blues Alive Award from the Blues Foundation. now through August 15, you don't have to trek along the Blues Highway to get a feel for the "State of the Blues": instead, just hop on the 5 and head to MUZEO. T I C K E T S O N S A L E N O W ! ! jan 9 - aug 15, 2010 TickeTs $13