"A Visual Archive" Exhibit at KEXP

Just in the nick of time, we were able to quickly tour “A Visual Archive” exhibit at the phenomenal community-focused KEXP Gathering Space. The exhibit is sourced from Light in the Attic Records, a label that specializes in music reissues, in many cases of obscure or overlooked music. Curated by photographer and director David Black, the show includes rare photographs of a number of performers, including Patti Smith, Sly Stone, The Shaggs, Betty Davis, Mark Lanegan, and many others.

What struck me most were the images of local artists. Light in the Attic Records previously had released Wheedle’s Groove, which reissued limited-run Seattle funk and soul songs spanning from the 1960s-1970s. The compilation included one of my father’s favorite bands, Cold Bold & Together. One of the claims to fame for this band was that a young Kenny G was in the group (in addition to making and wearing synchronized outfits).

Promotional photo for Cold, Bold & Together.

What the record label has done so well is further contextualize previous eras and movements of music. On a local level, the Wheedle’s Groove compilation helped me understand the 25-30 R&B area clubs regularly featuring these live acts that further cemented Seattle as a music-friendly town. Many of the buildings are gone now, and there is some ephemera around (such as gig posters). By identifying, preserving, reformatting, and reissuing the recordings, the music lives on and provides a window to better understand the arts of the time, beyond Quincy Jones, Jimi Hendrix, and more well-known acts.

The exhibition is next headed to L.A.

Here is an interview with the curator.

View of the gallery of images in the exhibit.

All photographs taken by the author and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.