Thanks to Eat Pray Love, leaving it all to travel somewhere exotic is not exactly rooted in betterment-to-society purposes, especially when considering Jonathan Brandstein’s 2005 adventure.
For the Los Angeles-based photographer, it all began that summer when he peeped a documentary about blues musicians in Mali. Recalls Brandstein, who has, no joke, kicked it with Fidel Castro and had one of his images used as cover art for Jimmy Buffett’s Buffet Hotel, “I saw this image of these guys sitting in the Saharan desert playing guitar. I said, ‘I’m going to go there.’ I was fascinated. I don’t know what this is, but I’m going to do this.” Six months later, his camera-wielding self was in West Africa’s prolific musical hub taking thoughtful portraits of some of the most important and unheard of musicians this orb has to offer.
he result is “The Sultans of Sand” exhibit, which is currently showing at Method Art Gallery & Studios.
Thu., Sept. 16, 2010
