Southeast Museum of Photography presents “Taking Note” by celebrated photographer Colin Finlay

Exhibit is presented in partnership with the Atlantic Center for the Arts

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, FLA (December 4, 2023) – The Southeast Museum of Photography, in partnership with the Atlantic Center for the Arts, is presenting "Taking Note," an exhibition of photographic works paired with written reflections and ephemera by renowned photojournalist Colin Finlay. "Taking Note" features more than 30 photographs of musicians, including Grammy-award-winning singer-songwriters and producers.

The exhibit is on view in the Master Artist Gallery at The Atlantic Center for the Arts in New Smyrna Beach now through February 3, 2024.

Highlights of the exhibit include portraits of recording artists Aimee Mann, Beck, Bonnie Raitt, Linda Perry and Nile Rodgers, and record producers Rick Rubin, The-Dream and Tricky Stewart. This elite cast was assembled as part of a documentary project started by George Martin, the legendary producer of The Beatles. Titled "Soundbreaking: Stories from the Cutting Edge of Recorded Music," it became an eight-part, in-depth look at the evolving art of music recording.

For Finlay, photographing the artists was the opportunity of a lifetime. Often having to wait until the end of lengthy studio sessions, he absorbed the sights and sounds, reflecting on his own musical journey, which began as a young man performing as lead singer and rhythm guitarist in a garage cover band.

Now decades into a storied career – and a composer in his own right – Finlay acknowledges a moment of revelation occurred when this project allowed him the freedom “to create photographs of something I loved…that spoke to me on the deepest level of my being.” A renewed passion to explore these interweaving threads took hold, and he approached his subjects with admiration and purpose.

The resulting photographs capture remarkable moments: an intimate view of Linda Perry composing music at home; Rick Rubin framed within the front seat of The Band’s old VW tour bus; Mike Campbell hanging around The Clubhouse, the exclusive space in which Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers recorded and rehearsed; Beck writing notes in the margins of his lyrics; and Bonnie Raitt’s profile softly illuminated against the dark, wood-paneled studio at Grandmaster Recorders.

Taking Note also explores Finlay’s commercial portraiture and campaign work, in which he deftly places his subjects against the backdrop of Los Angeles’ city streets, historic buildings and coastlines.

His portraits represent a departure from the cultivated images familiar to the public – ones in which every aspect of brand perception has been accounted for by marketing campaigns that effectively reduce musicians to products. Far from choreographed, Finlay’s lyrical images were captured in the immediate moment and in a variety of locations, from the recording studio to the streets.

Finlay’s portraits are raw and unfiltered – allowing the viewer a glimpse into an authentic moment. Yet these aren’t straight documentary photographs either. Taken in a manner similar to a visual form of ‘call and response,’ a compositional technique that functions like a conversation in music, these portraits are the result of a collaborative process. Regarding artists like Almost Honest, Brock Monroe, Fantastic Negrito, Franki Banali and T.Ray, Finlay said: “We spent long hours creating the image of themselves that they wanted to share with their audience. They were building or re-directing careers, and together we forged a new aesthetic.”

For the commissioned portraits of musicians and DJs, he took an unconventional approach – no crew, no entourage – just his camera, his subjects and an ever-changing landscape. His photograph of Aero in Tommy Lee’s backyard and Benji Mophono peering through the window of his favorite record shop makes both artists seem relatable. From Amp Live and Andy Caldwell performing inside clubs to Zion-I and Scarlett Etienne starkly positioned within industrial scenes, Finlay knows how to mix edgy appeal with mystique while still cultivating a sense of accessibility, connecting them all to the local scene.

In addition to the photographs, a selection of vinyl records related to the exhibition are mounted on the walls. The gallery also features a Spotify playlist, allowing visitors to explore the richness and diversity of each artist through a curated selection of their songs.

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Southeast Museum of Photography presents “Taking Note” by celebrated photographer Colin Finlay