My Silent Protest - No Leonard Cohen Photos in "Who Shot Rock and Roll" Photography Exhibit

August 24, 201

200+ Images - Photos & Album covers - but None of Leonard Cohen

When sonLeonard invited me to join the family for this exhibit, he suggested there might be a photo of Leonard Cohen included. And that certainly excited me.

I did some research and discovered that there were no photos or album covers of Leonard Cohen in the exhibit.

So I huffed and puffed in indigantion about this terrible slight -after all LC is in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame - and decided I had to stage a protest.

The dignified strategy I came up with was wearing my 6" I Love Leonard Cohen button. It sometimes attracts notice and lovely conversations happen.  And it did.

When sonLeonard and I approached the outdoor entrance of the Annenberg Space For Photography, a gentleman in a navy blazer greeted us saying, "I love Leonrd Cohen too". So I pointed to my button and told him, "This is my silent protest because there are no Leonard Cohen photos in the exhibit. And Leonard Cohen is in the R&R Hall of Fame."

 I had pre-arranged with my son to please snap a photo of me with a background of the exhibit for posting on the LC Scrapbook. To my surprise and delight, he agreed. (As many of you know, sonLeonard usually disapproves of my Leonard Cohen "extra-curricular activities.")  In the foyer inside, I asked a lady at the welcome desk for permission to snap a photo of me in front of the wall banners advertising the exhibit. The lady said she would have to ask her boss. Lo and behold, the blazered young man who greeted us outside was "the boss".

He came inside and said the banners were copyrighted and were for sale.

Here comes the good part:

The boss agreed with my protest, Leonard Cohen deserves to be in the exhibit. But, they just couldn't include everyone.

Then he took over and organized my photo moment.

"You can't take photographs inside the building,  But you can take photos outside the building."

 I love how some legal technicalities can be solved so simply. Just move the playing field a few feet..

He commandeered a second young man in a navy blazer and the two of them moved a standard with a display photo of Tina Turner outside and beside the front door. That is where my photo at the top was taken.

Here is the same image of Tina Turner on a postcard size flyer.

Annenberg Space for Photography post card

Photo: Henry Diltz-Tina Turner, Universal Amphittheatre Los Angles 1985

For my final quiet protest effort, on the way out, I left this comment in the guest book:

Great Exhibit!  I am disappointed that Leonard Cohen is not included. He is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. ArleneD

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To see some examples of the photography in the exhibit, click here