VP Group at 320 East Buffalo Street in the Historic Third Ward exhibits a variety of fine art photography. Owner Bill Appleby recently connected with international photojournalist David Burnett, who covered within his four decades of experiecne the Obama campaign last year. Burnett will be attending January's Gallery Night and Day at the VP Group to sign his recently released book, Soul Rebel: An Intimate Portrait of Bob Marley. Singer and songwriter Marley, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and a Grammy Award winner, gained notoriety for Reggae music with his band The Wailers, which produced multiple platinum albums before Marley's untimely death at age 36. Appleby chats about this exclusive photography exhibit, the book, and how Soul Rebel will still be available for holiday gift giving.
Q: What's so intriguing about Burnett's new book?
A: Burnett's book Soul Rebel reveals the persona of Bob Marley through photographs, all his own photographs which show intimate pictures of this man in his home, Jamaica. The New York Times gave the book a fabulous review, it's been very well received.
Q: Will you be exhibiting any photographs from the book?
A: The first and only other gallery to exhibit any photos was in Washington, D.C. at Govinda Gallery last February. We'll have 15 prints from the book on exhibit for January Gallery Night and Day. These have never before been seen because they're all Burnett's personal photos, not something he did for another magazine or publishing assignment. He finally decided to compile them all and put them in a book after his daughter was very excited to have one on her bedroom wall. The collection seems to reach across generations, and touch especially the younger people
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Q: Could you say anything about the book Soul Rebel?
A: Soul Rebel contains about 100 plus pages on Bob Marley with an introduction and text added by music experts. It's a 9 by 13 inch coffee table book, to hold in your hands, a photo essay that Burnett captured about the time he spent with Bob Marley in Jamaica. We'll have a preview of the prints before Winter Gallery Night and Burnett will be coming to Milwaukee to sign the books that Friday and Saturday, the 15th and 16th, and we will be open until 10:00 p.m. both evenings. But people can purchase gift certificates [$65] for the book now, even to give as a gift, that we'll honor and then Burnett will sign them when he's here in town. It's a huge event that Burnett, this renowned photojournalist, will be here in Milwaukee, with his personal prints. To discuss his internationally acclaimed fine photography and the book, together with his experience from meeting Bob Marley. We're very excited we could make this happen.
Q: Why should one invest in photography, even as a gift?
A: We exhibit collections from a variety of classic and contemporary photographers. Photography resonates with people across all ages and demographics. It freezes a moment in time, [that will never happen again]. And it is now certainly considered fine art and collectible. (For more information: www.vpgallery.com)
