NEW ORLEANS, LA — On the eve of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, photographer Michael Weintrob will open the doors to a pop-up photography exhibit called InstrumentHead — a surrealist portrait series that captures the identity of Grammy-award winners, New Orleans legends and world musicians without ever showing their face. Instead, the entertainers pose with their instruments suspended in front of their heads, creating intimate expression of each artist within the frame of a single, iconic photograph [scroll to bottom of release for an expanded list of featured musicians].
Though Weintrob’s InstrumentHead collection includes more than 250 artists since he began shooting the series in 2006, he has hand-selected 75 images for his Jazz Fest exhibit, many of which have never before been seen by the media or public to date. Presented by Jakprints, the photographs will be sold as 36 x 48 limited-edition fine art Giclee prints, with 20 percent of the proceeds benefitting the Tipitina’s Foundation and the New Orleans Musicians Assistance Foundation.
“The music and culture of this city has had such a profound impact on my life over the years, that I want to create an opportunity to give back to the New Orleans community,” said Weintrob.
In turn, Eric McFadden (Parliament Funkadelic), Rob Mercurio (Galactic), Eric Bolivar (Anders Osborne), DJ Logic and Nigel Hall will also pay it forward, donating live music for the exhibit’s April 25 Grand Opening. In connection with the Frenchmen Art Market, the pop-up gallery will be open daily at 2121 Chartres Street from 7pm to close April 25 through May 5.
Weintrob will also host an on-site photo studio within the gallery to capture more artist portraits as they pass through during the 10-day festival.
“With so many talented musicians in town, you never know who will stop in the gallery at any given moment — it will bring InstrumentHead to the next level,” Weintrob beamed. “I can’t think of a better way to celebrate a global love of music during Jazz Fest.”
Featured InstrumentHead Artists:
Bootsy Collins (Parliament Funkadelic), Mickey Hart (Grateful Dead), Derek Trucks, Johnny Winter, Charlie Musselwhite, Dave Schools (Widespread Panic), Matt Abts (Gov’t Mule), Tina Weymouth (Talking Heads), Uncle Lionel Batiste, Walter “Wolfman” Washington, Cyril Neville, George Porter Jr, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, Big Chief Donald Harrison, members of the Dirty Dozen, Rebirth Brass Band and Galactic, Indian tabla master Zakir Hussain, Bill Summers and Pedtrito Martinez.
For a look at more photos and video from InstrumentHead, visit www.michaelweintrob.com/instrumenthead.
