The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, August 27, 2004, Page 6, Image 6
THEY SAID ITa
“The camera is an instrument that teache^
people how to see without a camera."
age 6 DOROTHEA LANGE
Fnday, August 27, 2004 AMERICAN photographer
4- ' •
By D.E. McGUIRT
THE GAMECOCK
Roots musician. Avant-garde
filmmaker. Cultural anthropologist.
Founding member of the Greenwich
Village counterculture. The inspiration
for the Grateful Dead tune “Uncle
John’s Band.” John Cohen is, in part, all
of these.
He also happens to be a very good
photographer.
In the winter of 1961, young Bob
Zimmerman arrived in New York City
with little more than a guitar and a
goofy cap. He frequented the cafes of
the East Village, attracting a crowd
with his old man’s voice and caustic
harmonica. He posed for John Cohen’s
camera while standing on the rooftop
of his tenement building. It’s an
amazing picture — the face of the boy
who very soon would become Bob
Dylan.
Columbians interested in gazing at
this photograph can find it and others
on the corner of Main and Hampton
streets downtown in the exhibition
entitled “There Is No Eye: John Cohen
Photographs.” The title of the
exhibition comes from the liner notes of
Dylan’s 1965 album Highway 61
Revisited, a letter written by Dylan to
Cohen that states, “There is no eye.
There are only mouths. Long live the
mouths.”
Other famous faces can be found
among the photographs on the wall. A
soulful jack Kerouac tilts his head
toward a radio listening to his own
voice. Woody Guthrie, hobbled but not
defeated by a degenerative nerve
disease, leans forward to light a
cigarette. Allen Ginsberg, wearing a
smile as content as the Buddha’s, rests
his head on a friend’s lap.
Cohen has a remarkable knack for
beftiending passionate artists, some
famous but many more unknown and
unheralded, and taking pictures of
them at their most passionate
moments. His subjects include a
Harlem gospel singer, an Appalachian
banjo player and a Peruvian blowing
on the panpipes.
A musical purist, Cohen’s enduring
search for art and artists who transcend
commercialism led him on a journey
that began in the 1950s and continues
today.
A passion for American roots music
1
led Cohen deep into Appalachia,
where he photographed fiddlers and
bluegrass players in their own
environment. His camera captures the
hard-worn essence of these subjects, as
best evidenced by a portrait of a
steely-eyed Roscoe Holcomb,
elegantly cradling his banjo with wiry
arms scarred by veins.
Cohen’s most expressive
photographs were taken during trips to
Peru in the 1950s and 1970s. Like his
Appalachian subjects, the people in ■
Cohen’s Peru photographs reveal a
strange beauty in their weathered
complexions, whether they are gazing
through the Andean mist or dancing to
an impromptu street concert. Not to be
missed is the photograph of the Macchu
Tussec dancers, clad in European suits
More than anything, the exhibition is
a testament to Cohen’s* tenacity*
following his interests
HI From the unknown jazz singer, to the man on the street, John Cohen's
Hb portraits depict people ordinary splendor. Bob Dylan, before he gained fame,
Hg was one of his favorite subjects. $
When the Mall is Not Enough
While area malls offer convenient, one-stop shopping, they often
present little in the way of originality. For those looking to step beyond
the chain stores, area boutiques allow the fashion savvy to indulge in
high style. Shoppers can choose from Luna in Five Points, Cobalt 27
downtown and several stores on Devine Street, including M and Willis
&C Winter. Those with retro flair have area thrift and vintage stores,
from HipWaZee to local Goodwill locations, ready to help them perfect
their look. The Internet is also turning into a dream destination for
fashion plates everywhere. From bargain buys to upscale lines, the Web
is a virtual collection of stores and styles, hipper than any mall and
always open.
A boutique bonanza:
www.shopbop.com
www.revoiveclothing.com
www.daszi gn. com
wftw.goclothing.com
www.shopkitson.com
www.shoplastyle.com
www.vibetheboutique.com
www.blaec.com
www.activeendeavors.com
www.houseofstyle.com
www.rawclothing.com
www.girlshop.com
The usual suspects:
www.gap.com
www.abercrombie.com
www.oldnavy.com
www.ae.com
www.bebe.com
www.ardenb.com
www.hollisterco.com
www.forever21 .com
www.jcrew.com
www.urbanoutfitters.com
www.anthropologie.com
www.guess.com
www.pacsun.pom
www.polo.com
Lux picks:
www.eluxury.cotn
www.net-a-porter.com
www.saks.com
wr ww.neimanmarcus.com
www.barneys.com
Bargain basements:
www.bluefly.com
wwwcoverstock.com
www.yoox.com
www.ebay.com
Accessories galore:
www.amiciaccessories.com
www.e-jules.com
www.fossil.com
www. cutx paste .com
www.ebags.com
Shoe stops:
www.zappos.com
www.shoes.com
wwwcshoebuy.com
www.davidz.com
www.whatapair.com
www.journeys.com
£
Students explore new fall styles
By NAIALIt Ntl^tL
THE GAMECOCK
August in South Carolina is,
weather-wise, not the best times to
be thinking about fall fashion. But
along with buying new books,
dorm or apartment supplies and
cheap groceries, students are being
enticed by a new style season.
Around campus, guys enjoy
being laid-back and casual with
their Abercrombie & Fitch shorts,
Rainbow sandals and USC shirt
collections. Ladies sport Rainbows,
Abercrombie & Fitch apparel and
S.C. gear as well — along with
those trademark pearls. Are you
sensing a pattern?
Although the Palmetto State isn’t
known for being cutting edge, new
fall fashions are already finding
their way onto store shelves.
Out-of-state students have had
the advantage of shopping stores
still unknowrl to South Carolina.
Second-year pharmacy student and
fashionista Lina Gray is from New
Jersey and has a trend savvy take on
what to wear. She was already up on
some styles that did not hit South
Carolina until recently. Flowered
and beaded slippers sound familiar?
Those are so over, according to
Gray. H Sc M, a fashion haven full
of cheap chic — “Love it!” Gray said
— and Against All Odds are her
favorite stores. And as for hot
brands, Juicy Couture, Pepe and
Azure jeans top her list.
First-year elementary education
student Austin Crockett, who hails
from Dallas, said “students’ styles
are just so different here; it seems
more relaxed and casual overall.
She credits the laid-back vibe to
being on the east coast and closer to
the beach, adding that she is still
adjusting to the style climate.
She said that girls here seem to
have a select few similar items such
as the Vera Bradley bags, pearls and
Rainbow sandals. Crockett added
that she would never carry a Vera
Bradley bag because they seem too
mature and old.
Although out-of-state students
have to adjust to South Carolina’s
limited hip-ness, there are stores in
Columbia to visit, and Greenville,
Charlotte and Charleston are just a
couple of hours away.
At local malls, Express and
Hollister are two style-forward
stores sure to carry many trendy
items this fall.
The preppy, classic look is sure
to be popular in the coming months
as tweed fabrics appear on shoes,
handbags and blazers. The Limited,
a popular mall store carrying
women’s fashions, is already
offering such styles in its, collection.
If you are tired of the spiky high
heeled shoes, tweed flats are huge
this season. They work well with
dark jeans for that casual yet
professional look. This month’s
issue of Lucky magazine spotlights
such footwear and offers many
options from pricey to affordable.
For those who do love heels,
they are still quite popular. Gray
said that she “must” have stilettos
because she is only five feet tall. She
and other heel lovers may want to
consider rounded, open-toe shoes
and platforms as an alternative for
fall. These offer height without
PHOTO COURTESY OF KRT CAMPUS
Fall fashion is all about putting a contemporary spin on classic
styles. New trends take their cue from decades past.
hurting your toes.
Students who lean more toward
a comfortable and cute look will
appreciate the relaxed apparel at
stores such as American Eagle.
Offering classic, lasting styles, stores
such as Charlotte Russe appeal to
college students with a tight; budget.
Fall is just around the corner and
the clothes you will need to look
cool in the cold are already arriving
at local stores. Shop for apparel
that will fit your overall style, but
don’t be afraid to spring for
spmething more original.
Comments on this story? E-mail
gamecockfeatures@gmn.sc.edu