The generosity of the medium, as Lee Friedlander would later put it, describes the chaos of the backstage scene and its attending excitement: note the missing bulb over the mirror, the awkwardness of Andy shaking hands while holding both a tape recorder and camera, the shadows of guitars on the wall, the lone hair brush sitting on the counter, and the tiny portion of Rick Derringer’s face peeking out from behind Andy’s right shoulder.

© Gary Green, 1978. Image courtesy of the artist.

I was in my early twenties when I took this photograph of David Johansen, Lou Reed, and Andy Warhol backstage at New York City’s Bottom Line in July of 1978. I was there to see David perform. He was both a friend and a client – I had photographed him many times over the years (including once for the photograph on the back cover of his first solo album, which he was promoting at the time). I generally tried to avoid these kinds of celebrity photo-ops in favor of more formal “photo sessions.” I’m glad now that this one didn’t slip by without my exposing a piece of film.

The generosity of the medium, as Lee Friedlander would later put it, describes the chaos of the backstage scene and its attending excitement: note the missing bulb over the mirror, the awkwardness of Andy shaking hands…

Being older now—and having the broader and deeper understanding of photography that comes with age and years of practice—I appreciate the simple charm and clear description of this historical “snapshot.” The generosity of the medium, as Lee Friedlander would later put it, describes the chaos of the backstage scene and its attending excitement: note the missing bulb over the mirror, the awkwardness of Andy shaking hands while holding both a tape recorder and camera, the shadows of guitars on the wall, the lone hair brush sitting on the counter, and the tiny portion of Rick Derringer’s face peeking out from behind Andy’s right shoulder. Not to be missed is the reflection of my flash in the mirror—it’s white blast now sitting forever over Lou’s shoulder.

—Gary Green, October 30, 2013

Gary Green‘s photographs have been exhibited widely, including solo and group shows at the Portland Museum of Art (Maine); the Saco Museum, University of Nevada, Reno; Texas Tech University; Southwest Missouri State University; the Colby Museum of Art; and the Center for Maine Contemporary Art in its 2004 and 2006 biennials. Gallery shows include Paolo Baldacci Gallery in New York City and Gallery Kayafas in Boston. Photographs from his multi-year project, Terrain Vague, are currently on view at the Portland Museum of Art’s 2013 Biennial.

Gary Green lives in Waterville, Maine, where he’s been teaching photography at Colby College since 2007.

Editor’s Rec: Daniel Kariko‘s 2011 Urbanautica interview with Gary Green here.

More on tributes and Lou Reed here.