Taking Aim — Unforgettable Rock and Roll Photographs selected by Graham Nash…   is at the Museum of the Rockies for one more month. How Mr. Nash was able to narrow down an endless archive to select these gems must have been an exercise of constant conflict. He was certainly successful as a guest curator to choose a fine selection based on his insight to what truly captures the genre. The images in this exhibit leave the viewer in awe of the photographers, the music, and the influence of rock.

The collection spans roughly 50 years of rock roll with photographs of performers, staged studio shots, and private moments. The photographers such as Annie Leibovitz, Neal Preston, Mick Rock, Joel Bernstein, and Jim Marshall grace the walls. The individual style of each photographer resonates and becomes familiar once examining a few of their pieces. A handful of familiar shots from popular culture are peppered throughout the display such as Annie Leibovitz’s picture of a naked John Lennon cuddling Yoko Ono, and her profile of a stoic Willie Nelson.

The display is not in chronological order but it is a walk though rock and roll history. The majority of the images seem to be from the seventies, which many would argue was the best decade of rock. At the same time, this was also when Graham Nash was in the height of his rock and roll career with Crosby, Stills and Nash (and sometimes Young) and he admits to selecting images of people and friends with whom he was familiar. Regardless, every decade is represented from Gene Vincent, The Doors, Van Halen, Nirvana, and Notorious B.I.G.

Graham Nash’s music career was catapulted with his time in the band the Hollies. He then went on to performing in the harmonizing super group, Crosby, Stills and Nash. In addition to music, Mr. Nash is a photographer and has an appreciation and keen eye for the medium. A few images from his life are on display including one familiar to CSN fans of the three on a couch in front of a home which was the cover of their first studio album, CSN.   Mr. Nash also narrates a corresponding audio tour which is available for $3. The images are numbered and one can simply type in the number to hear his brief yet discerning and personal comments.

Some of the images will leave you star struck; such as a photo of Eddie Van Halen performing with the band handling his guitar to a point when you think you can hear him playing the riff to “Ain’t Talkin ‘Bout Love.” The ability to photograph live performance is difficult; to capture it to feel like you are there, that is talent. Another great example of this is a Neal Preston photo of Robert Plant performing and it is exposed in a golden hue making him look angelic or god like; a rock god. There are many pictures in the exhibit that capture the not so glamorous side of the industry or just very private moments of rock artists. The ability to capture these moments means the photographers had access; access to their lives public and private. One image hard to forget is a shot of a weathered Janis Joplin cradling a bottle of Southern Comfort. Another gripping shot is of the Doors at a casual bar that could be Bozeman’s Filler, where Jim Morrison is staring right at you while his band mates are enjoying bottled beer, but all looking away.

Overall the display captures the craziness, eccentricities, and talent of a music domain that continues to flourish and please fans. A crowd surfing scene at a Mudhoney concert, John Elton kicking up his heels while rocking the piano, a playful portrait of Mick Jager, and Iggy Pop in an unnatural bend, all provide enjoyment and entertainment, true to rock’s form.

The exhibit was organized by the Experience Project in Seattle (EMP Museum) where Graham Nash worked with EMP’s Director of Curatorial Affairs and advisory panel including the former photography curator form the Whitney, Sylvia Wolf. It has toured the country displaying in a variety of museums including The Buddy Holly Center in Lubbock, Texas. The exhibit will be at the Museum of the Rockies until January 15, 2012 and its next destination is still to be determined. Admission to “Taking Aim” is included with the museum admission. The audio tour is extra, $3 and well worth it.

If you missed the show, or loved the show and wish to hold on to the photographs and images forever, the collection is published in a book by Graham Nash with the same name as the tour and is available at the museum gift shop.

Becky Warren is a freelance writer living in Bozeman. Her first concert was Prince and Revolution, Purple Rain Tour, 1984, in Detroit, Michigan. A photo of that exact concert is on display at “Taking Aim:   Unforgettable Rock and Roll Photographs”.