rock and roll photography is on display now at Wyatt Studios and the Currier Museum

Shortly after John Lennon moved to New York in 1971 with Yoko Ono, Bob Gruen became his personal photographer and friend, capturing both his career and private life. A few years later, he created iconic images of Lennon wearing a New York City T-shirt, which will be among the photos featured at Rochester’s Wyatt Art Studios in December.

By the mid ’70s, Gruen became regarded as one of the foremost documenters of popular music, working with acts like The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Elton John, Kiss and Tina Turner. He also covered the emerging new wave and punk bands, including The New York Dolls, Patti Smith, The Clash, Sex Pistols, The Ramones and Blondie.

The Back Room Gallery at Wyatt Art Studios will host a limited selection of the rock and roll photographer’s catalog, featuring images of Lennon, Zeppelin and The Clash. The opening reception will take place on Saturday, Dec. 3 from 5 to 8 p.m., in conjunction with Rochester’s Art Stroll. The exhibit will run into February.

Curated by Matt Wyatt and co-owned by Mandie Haynes, both Rochester natives, Wyatt Art Studios features fine art by emerging and seasoned artists, alike. Running congruently at the gallery is a show of contemporary cityscapes and landscapes in oil by Heather Hilton.

Gruen, based in Newburyport, Mass., also currently has two photographs on display at the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester as part of “Backstage Pass: Rock & Roll Photography,” organized by the Portland Museum of Art in Maine. One is of David Johansen of The New York Dolls and the other is of Sid Vicious on an airport bus in Baton Rouge.

“Backstage Pass” is showing at the Currier through Jan. 15. It also includes a photo by Portsmouth’s own legendary rock photographer Joe Stevens, who contributed a shot of Rod Stewart exiting a graffiti-covered restroom.

Drawn from the largest private collection of rock photographs in the United States, the show reveals the intimate relationship between photographer and rock star. Musicians are often idolized for their lifestyles as much as for their proficiency onstage, and many photographers have attempted to catch both on film. Featuring 175 photographs, some rarely seen by the public, the exhibit also provides a look at the history of rock music, from its development in the 1950s to its ongoing influence, with both studio portraits and candid outtakes.

“Backstage Pass” features photos of famous musicians like Elvis Presely, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Janis Joplin, John Coltrane, Madonna, Courtney Love and Kurt Cobain. The classic images were captured by more than 50 photographers, including Lee Friedlander, Kate Simon, Laura Levine, Baron Wolman, Jim Marshall and Lynn Goldsmith.

The Currier Museum is at 150 Ash Street, Manchester.