591 Exhibition - Joakim Strömholm

Tom Waits at PA&Co in Stockholm 1986, Photo © Joakim Strömholm

I went to galleri ikon where Joakim Strömholm was holding a "finissage" of his exhibition "Looking Back". I asked a young woman, who was serving wine and snacks, if Joakim was around. He had just left the building for a couple a minutes, so I exchanged a few words with the young woman.

It turned out that she was Joakim´s daughter Sarah and of course the grand daughter of Christer Strömholm. It was a bit of magic to meet her and speak a few words about her father and grandfather - two great photographers that I admire. I asked Sarah if she was planning a career as a photographer - she smiled and said "probably not, in any case it is quite a challenge to walk in the footsteps of granddad and father."

Bruce Springsteen, Stockholm 1981 © Joakim Strömholm

It was my first meeting with Joakim although we had exchanged some emails earlier on. We spoke about his pictures - it is like walking through the history of rock seeing Joakim´s photos of legendary artists like Bob Dylan, BB King, Chuck Berry, Tom Waits etc. There is something about Joakim´s pictures that make them special - they are not only meetings with world celebrities -somehow Joakim manages to capture the artist´s character on stage (and in some cases at a hotel or elsewhere)

Photo © Anna Nilsdotter

Joakim Strömholm

Born: 1947
Lives in: Stockholm, south of France and Paris
Latest exhibition: Looking Back - galleri ikon, Stockholm
Coming, planned exhibition: Bêtes de scène - School Gallery, Paris

Inspiration (photographers): Edouard Boubat, Angelica Julner, Anders Petersen
Inspiration (other): Nina Hagen, Bob Marley, Johan Tell (writer), Chaplin, Anna Karlson (illustrator)
Film, digital or both: Digital since 2004. "I miss TRI-X and long nights in the darkroom!"
Quote: "Blunda och se" (Close your eyes and see) - Christer Strömholm
A favourite photograph: The crawling baby with car by Angelica Julner
Homepage: www.stromholm.se

Exhibition ended Dec 29, 2008

It is a pleasure to present 16 of the images from "Looking Back" as an 591 Exhibition. Joakim Strömholm will soon open his exhibition in Paris, France. More about that later on 591.