Elliott Landy

In the late 1960s, Elliott Landy began his photographic career working with underground newspapers to express his own “visual voice” in support of the rising tide of antiwar sentiment throughout the U.S. during that time. His press pass and camera not only gave him access to the political scene but also provided him a personal entry into the new rock music counterculture. Albert Grossman who managed the careers of many of the most popular and successful folk and rock musicians, including Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, Richie Havens, The Band and Peter, Paul and Mary, had seen Landy’s images of Janis Joplin and asked him to photograph The Band for their Music From Big Pink album.

Landy’s iconic photographs of Dylan and The Band during the years they resided and recorded in the small arts colony of Woodstock, NY and his coverage of the 1969 Woodstock Festival captured the attention of a new generation seeking spiritual and artistic freedom. His imagery has become synonymous with the town, the famed 1969 music festival of which he was an official photographer, and the utopian spirit of the “Woodstock Generation.”

Best known for his classic “rock” photographs, Landy was one of the first music photographers to be recognized as an “artist.” His celebrated works include portraits of Bob Dylan (Nashville Skyline), The Band (Music from Big Pink, The Band), Janis Joplin (Big Brother & the Holding Company, Cheap Thrills), Van Morrison (Moondance), Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, and many others.

Since 1967, Landy’s work has been exhibited and published worldwide. He is the author of eight books and is the architect of a new software system and app, LandyVision, that blends moving imagery with music to create an interactive sound and visual experience that has never been seen before.