ARTIST
HENRY DILTZ
Art at the Plaza
Henry Diltz - "Paul & Linda"
Henry Diltz (born 1938 in Kansas City, Missouri) is an American photographer and musician, internationally renowned as one of rock history’s foremost visual storytellers. A visual chronicler who, with warmth and authenticity, has captured the soul of an entire generation of musicians. Through his images, the musical era of the 1960s and 70s lives on, both as timeless documents and as artistic icons.
Background & career change
- Diltz began his career as a banjo player in the folk group The Modern Folk Quartet in the 1960s. During tours and studio sessions, he took spontaneous photos of his friends on the music scene – a hobby that soon developed into a lifelong profession.
Style, Themes & Technique
- Diltz is characterised by a documentary, intimate style in which he captures moments rather than staging them. He has a particular ability to portray artists both on and off stage, in relaxed and natural settings.
- His photographs balance between everyday moments and iconic instances, and are characterised by closeness, authenticity, and timelessness.
- Diltz often describes his work as “being a friend with a camera” – a method that has created deep trust among the artists he has photographed.
Iconic works
- He has shot cover images for classic albums such as Morrison Hotel (The Doors), Desperado (Eagles) och Blue (Joni Mitchell).
- Diltz has also documented festivals such as Woodstock (1969) and the Monterey Pop Festival (1967), which has made him a central figure in the depiction of rock’s golden age.
Exhibitions
- His photographs have been exhibited in museums and galleries in the United States and internationally, and today they form part of the collective memory of popular culture.
- Diltz is co-founder of Morrison Hotel Gallery in New York and Los Angeles, specialised in music photography.