In the Eye of the Beholder is an extraordinary photography exhibition offering an intimate portrait of the legendary poet. Joan Ganny first exhibited her portraits of Charles Bukowski in Laterna Magica's galleries back in 1997. This exhibition includes both iconic and never-before-seen photographs captured during her unprecedented access to Bukowski. In the artist talk with Joan Ganny and author Anna Piiroinen on Saturday October 10th, at 3 p.m we will hear the stories behind the famous photogpraphs. Free entry.
Shot on vintage Kodak Tri-X and Kodachrome film, Ganny’s photographs illuminate “the man behind the myth”, revealing Bukowski in rare moments of reflection, humor, and candor. The collection includes close-up portraits and vivid glimpses of his everyday life, creating one of the most personal visual records of the poet ever assembled.
For Ganny, the exhibition represents both a return and a revelation. “It is thrilling to bring Charles Bukowski back to Helsinki. I had no idea when I reluctantly agreed to initially photograph him for a friend’s article in Rolling Stone half a century ago, that the work would have such an impact abroad, as well as decades after his death. Some of the images seemed too serious at the time, too intimate, and never were printed. His publisher John Martin, of Black Sparrow Press contacted me in 1994 after Bukowski’s death and asked if I had any photos he hadn’t yet seen, and I showed him these. According to Carl Weissner. Bukowski’s longtime friend and German translator, ‘’these images are fascinating and iconic.”
Special limited editions of 50x70cm fine art photographs—available in black and white—will be available for exhibition visitors. These works, along with postcards, and posters, will be available for purchase through Laterna Magica for the duration of the exhibition.
Exhibition is open between 7th and 24th of October.
Above left Joan Ganny photographed by Tomi Parkkonen. Above right Charles Bukowski photographed by Joan Ganny at Cal State University in Los Angeles in 1974.
