LARRY SINGER
The DLG was sent thirty 1/1 T.P. prints of these historic music superstars captured by Rock & Roll Hall of Fame photographer Larry Singer and are now on display for the first time in Chicago at the David Leonardis Gallery. Singer’s iconic photographs feature rock & roll legends Bruce Springsteen, Alice Cooper, Journey, Nazareth, The Rolling Stones, The Clash, Quiet Riot, Ozzie Osborne, Bob Dylan, Chuck Berry, Van Halen, Deep Purple, and Tom Petty.
In the early 1990s, Singer’s rock & roll negatives went missing. After moving into his late parents Florida home 20 years later, Singer discovered his long-lost negatives buried under stacks of vintage clothing in his mother’s bedroom closet.
The rock & roll images now on display have previously been seen only in Circus magazine and on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s billboards, Visitor Planning Guide cover, and web site (www.rockhall.com/stories).
In 2017, over 100 of Singer’s rock images appeared in his book Rock & Roll: Concert and Backstage Photographs from the 1970s and 1980s. Mark Starling, the news director and morning show host at Asheville, North Carolina classic rock station WWNC, interviewed Singer. “This book is a treasure trove of some of the greatest shots from live concerts that has ever been assembled,” Starling said. “The pictures are just incredible.”
Singer’s rock and roll photography career began when he wrote and illustrated a music newspaper column about the rock bands playing at a South Florida amusement park called Pirates World. “Pirates World was located halfway between Miami and Fort Lauderdale,” Singer said. “On weekends, they
featured the biggest names in rock & roll until the mid 1970s.”
When Singer requested permission from the park’s concert promoter to go backstage, interview and photograph the bands, the promoter gave him unlimited access. This resulted in Singer being able to interview and photograph
bands that would one day be inducted into The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
The David Leonardis Gallery opened its doors before the Wicker Park avant-garde renaissance of the early 1990s. A city landmark on the corner of Paulina and Milwaukee for 27 years, the gallery has long had a reputation for its rebellious spirit and its ability to attract both novice and seasoned collectors of post-modern and pop art.
Contact Us:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (312) 863-9045
Rockstar Photographs & Canvas Prints
1/1 Test Prints
Signed by Larry Singer
11"x14" - $400 each
16"x20" - $700 each
My love affair with live rock and roll music began on June 3, 1965, when I attended
my first raucous recital. The overwhelming experience was a sensory blitzkrieg,
with multicolored stage lights and explosive pyrotechnics that left me dazzled and
hooked.
Six years later, while working for a newspaper in South Florida, my editor assigned
me to write and illustrate a weekly column about rock and roll. A nearby
amusement park hosted rock and roll concerts every weekend, and I was tasked
with interviewing the bands and photographing them on stage. Thanks to the
promoter's graciousness, I had total backstage access, and a year later, my work as a
photographer earned me a position at Circus, an international rock magazine with a
wide readership. For the next eleven years, I captured iconic images of some of the
most famous rock bands on the planet.
Between 2016 and 2019, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's website featured my
photograph of Eddie Van Halen midair, playing his guitar after jumping off an
elevated drum riser, greeting visitors to the site. When Eddie passed away in 2020,
the Rock hall of Fame further honored the image by using it in its online eulogy. In
2017, Amherst Media published my book, "ROCK & ROLL: Concert and Backstage
Photographs From the 1970s and 1980s," which features 125 of my 233
photographs from the archives and library of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Larry Singer
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Celebrity Photographs
Framed 1/1 Test Prints
Signed by Larry Singer
11"x14" - $400 each
16"x20" - $700 each
I discovered how pleasant and friendly a celebrity could be on the morning of November
28, 1977, when I was working for a daily newspaper just north of Miami. While checking
the photo assignment board, I discovered I was scheduled to take pictures of Mel Brooks
later that morning at the Fontainebleau Hotel on Miami Beach. Brooks was receiving an
award at a convention of theater owners. Fortunately, I had the number of his suite.
After inviting me inside, Brooks said he had no problem with me taking pictures of him
being interviewed by Miami radio star Larry King, as long as I didn’t shoot with a flash.
Mel Brooks then readjusted every light in the living room of his suite so he and King
would be lit perfectly.
Shortly after I started shooting the interview, the irony of what took place a few minutes
earlier hit me hard when I realized that a world famous movie director I respect and adore
not only set up my lighting for me perfectly, he did it for free.
Larry Singer
Sports Celebrity Photographs
Framed 1/1 Test Prints
Signed by Larry Singer
11"x14" - $400 each
16"x20" - $700 each
In 1977, while working as a photographer for the Sun-Tattler newspaper in Hollywood,
Florida, I was assigned to take pictures of the New York Yankees working out and
getting in shape before a spring training game in nearby Fort Lauderdale. It was the day I
discovered how gracious childhood heroes could be.
For the first hour I took pictures of superstar athletes working out and exercising. Then I
saw Mickey Mantle, who was then one of the team’s coaches, walk into the dugout. I
quickly picked up one of the dozens of well used and baseballs laying on the field and
followed my childhood hero into the locker room.
Stepping through the doorway, I saw Mantle, sitting on a bench, talking to another player.
When Mantle saw me, I asked him if he would autograph the baseball I was holding.
After he signed the ball with one of the pens I carry in my camera bag, Mantle handed it
to the other unidentified Yankee. After he signed the ball and handed back to me, I
walked out without seeing who else signed my “Mickey Mantle” baseball. When I looked
at the ball, the first autograph I saw was Mantle’s. When I turned the ball over, I realized
I had just met and conversed with one of the greatest pitchers of all time, Whitey Ford.
Larry Singer
Rock Dreams
Framed 1/1 Test Prints
Signed by Larry Singer
11"x14" - $400 each
16"x20" - $700 each
As an experienced photojournalist and art photographer, I continuously push the
boundaries of technology to create stunning and captivating works of art. By
blending Chromimic technology, Artificial Intelligence, and rock icon Alice Cooper
with digital image manipulation, I created my Rock Dreams images. The outcome is
a collection of photographs that possess the quality of gallery-grade fine art.
These revolutionary and unconventional images allow me to delve deep into the
recesses of my imagination, and bring my photographic fantasies to life. My Rock
Dreams images transform some of the greatest rock and roll stars of all time into
extraordinary works of art that transcend reality.
Like many art photographers, I have wished I could turn my photographs into fine
art that can be displayed in galleries and museums. My unique approach to art,
through the creation of Rock Dreams images, provides a gateway for people who
have never seen anything like them before to fall in love with the creative
partnership between photography, fine art, and rock and roll.
Larry Singer
Nature Photographs
Framed 1/1 Test Prints
Signed by Larry Singer
11"x14" - $400 each
16"x20" - $700 each
Shortly, after moving to South Florida in 1969, I heard about a local tourist
attraction called Bonnet House. For decades, I had no idea what Bonnet House was
or exactly where it was located. Years later, I discovered Bonnet House Museum &
Gardens is a 35-acre estate. At the beginning of the Roaring Twenties, it was a
luxurious and well-hidden vacation home for Frederic Clay Bartlett, a talented artist
and his wife.
Today, Bonnet House is a temporary home to a wide variety of wildlife from Iguanas
to Egrets. In addition to hosting tours of the property, volunteers grow hundreds of
exotic orchids.
On February 27, 2015 I drove to Bonnet House. On that first visit, a few minutes
after I entered the estate, I took a macro photograph of a bee that showed nearby
flowers reflected its eyes. The picture was used on the May 2015 issue of Bee Culture
magazine and my love affair with the natural art I found on every visit. For the next
18 months I photographed the gardens and wildlife of Bonnet House. On July 11,
2017, Amherst Media published my book, Bonnet House: Exploring Nature and
Estate Photography. Each chapter features different examples of nature
photography, along with full technical data for each image.
Larry Singer
Bonnet House Nature Photographs
Framed 1/1 Test Prints
Signed by Larry Singer
11"x14" - $400 each
16"x20" - $700 each
Upon my relocation to South Florida in 1969, I heard whispers of a local attraction
known as Bonnet House. However, for years, I remained clueless as to what exactly
it entailed or where it could be found. It was only much later that I came to know of
Bonnet House Museum & Gardens, an expansive 35-acre estate that served as the
private vacation home of the artistically gifted and affluent Frederic Clay Bartlett
and his wife during the 1920s.
Today, Bonnet House boasts a thriving ecosystem that plays host to a diverse range
of wildlife, from iguanas to egrets. In addition to offering guided tours of the estate,
volunteers cultivate hundreds of rare and exotic orchids.
My own first visit to Bonnet House on February 27, 2015 proved to be a turning
point. Mere minutes after entering the estate, I snapped a macro photograph of a
bee, which captured the reflection of nearby flowers in its eyes. This photo was later
featured on the May 2015 issue of Bee Culture magazine, marking the beginning of
my love affair with the natural beauty that abounds at Bonnet House. Over the
course of the next year and a half, I took countless pictures of the estate's stunning
gardens and wildlife. On July 11, 2017, Amherst Media released my book, Bonnet
House: Exploring Nature and Estate Photography. Each chapter features different
examples of nature photography, accompanied by comprehensive technical
information for each image.
Larry Singer
Doll Photographs
Framed 1/1 Test Prints
Signed by Larry Singer
11"x14" - $400 each
16"x20" - $700 each
In 1977, while working as a photographer for the Sun-Tattler newspaper in Hollywood,
Florida, I was assigned to take pictures of the New York Yankees working out and
getting in shape before a spring training game in nearby Fort Lauderdale. It was the day I
discovered how gracious childhood heroes could be.
For the first hour I took pictures of superstar athletes working out and exercising. Then I
saw Mickey Mantle, who was then one of the team’s coaches, walk into the dugout. I
quickly picked up one of the dozens of well used and baseballs laying on the field and
followed my childhood hero into the locker room.
Stepping through the doorway, I saw Mantle, sitting on a bench, talking to another player.
When Mantle saw me, I asked him if he would autograph the baseball I was holding.
After he signed the ball with one of the pens I carry in my camera bag, Mantle handed it
to the other unidentified Yankee. After he signed the ball and handed back to me, I
walked out without seeing who else signed my “Mickey Mantle” baseball. When I looked
at the ball, the first autograph I saw was Mantle’s. When I turned the ball over, I realized
I had just met and conversed with one of the greatest pitchers of all time, Whitey Ford.
Larry Singer
Magical Realism
Framed 1/1 Test Prints
Signed by Larry Singer
11"x14" - $400 each
16"x20" - $700 each
In my formative years during the 1960s, my idols were Mark Wilson, a TV magician,
and a fashion photographer named Hiro. My father was a portrait and wedding
photographer. His collection of Popular Photography magazines frequently featured
Hiro's work. It masterfully blended the real and surreal to create a style that is now
recognized as Magic Realism.
As a professional photographer, I too explored Magic Realism after the emergence of
digital technology and the disappearance of film. With the help of Photoshop, I had
endless possibilities for creative exploration.
Unlike photographs which portrays the subject in crystal-clear detail, my Magic
Realism images depict things that exist but appear to be an illusion. Through my
magically realistic art, I can capture the essence of the familiar in a way that is both
otherworldly and eerily natural.
Larry Singer
Fine Art Photography
Framed 1/1 Test Prints
Signed by Larry Singer
11"x14" - $400 each
16"x20" - $700 each
Whenever I embark on a fine art photography expedition, I strive to capture my
subjects in a distinct and novel manner. I carefully consider all variables and visual
components before snapping the shutter, regardless of what I am shooting.
To maintain a consistent visual theme, I typically focus on one project at a time.
While the particulars of each project may vary, my unwavering passion for creating
photographic fine art that satisfies me remains constant.
To captivate the viewer's attention, I frequently utilize telephoto lenses with a
shallow depth of field to isolate my subject. My nature and landscape photographs
are characterized by dramatic and textural tones. I rely on a single camera to
capture all of my images, though I am always open to adaptation. I have discovered
that when I am able to produce an image that excels in originality, insight, and
technical proficiency, it becomes indelible in my memory.
Larry Singer
Downtown Fort Lauderdale Photographs
Framed 1/1 Test Prints
Signed by Larry Singer
11"x14" - $400 each
16"x20" - $700 each
Upon my arrival in Fort Lauderdale in 1969, the city was relatively small. The tallest
structure in the downtown area was the steeple of the First Baptist Church, which
served as a gathering place for the locals.
Flash forward to December of 2019, when I was stunned to discover just how
drastically Fort Lauderdale had transformed over the years. The photographs I took
to capture that change, serve as a reminder of what happens when a quaint
downtown uncontrollably expands and small businesses relocate.
My images serve as a visual record of the evolution of a once-popular spring break
destination that eventually matured into a metropolis, complete with towering
concrete condominiums that block out the sun.
Larry Singer
3D Photos
Thanks to Dr. Edwin Land’s invention of the Polaroid SX-70 camera, I was
able to create my 3D photographic images. While exploring the camera’s potential, I
realized I could produce something entirely unique and stunning. It wasn’t until
1972, when a member of the band Deep Purple snapped a photo of me with his new
SX-70 camera, that I truly saw the magic of this invention. I was amazed by the
quality of the color images that developed in 60 seconds.
As I experimented with the Polaroid film, I discovered that it had the
consistency akin to oil paint, which allowed me to manipulate the image before it
fully developed. This opened up a world of creative possibilities for me, and I began
to search for subjects that could be fully appreciated in three dimensions.
My 3D photographic technique is not an illusion – it can be seen and felt.
Unfortunately, after 2006, when Polaroid stopped producing the film, my unique
approach could no longer be duplicated. Nonetheless, Dr. Land’s creation remains a
cornerstone of my work, and I am grateful for the opportunity to produce such
remarkable art.
Larry Singer
