Patti Smith, american singer & American photographer, known as the “punk poet laureate,” was a staple of the early punk scene in the 1970s in New York City. Her most popular song, “Because the Night,” written with Bruce Springsteen, reached number 13 on the Billboard charts. Her first book, Just Kids, won a National Book Award in 2010. It was written to fulfil a promise to her former partner Robert Mapplethorpe.
Mapplethorpe, a photographer best known for his stark black-and-white portraits, coured controversy by documenting the gay male BDSM culture of the 1960s and early 70’s, sparking lasting debate about obscenity and free speech in the U.S.
Ex-medical doctor Norman Seeff emigrated from South Africa to New York in 1968 to pursue a career as a photographer, filmmaker and designer. Three years later, he relocated to Los Angeles as Art Director at United Artists Records, where his album cover designs and photography received many Grammy nominations.
He went independent in 1975 and has worked with hundreds of artists including Ray Charles, The Rolling Stones, Miles Davis, Ike and Tina Turner, Michael Jackson, Joni Mitchell and many others. Seeff is now engaged in documentary filmmaking focusing on the exploration of the inner dynamics of the creative process.
