As Cincinnati-born artist Michael Wilson introduces himself, he plainly states “I make photographs.” That’s a bit of an undersell given that his new exhibit on display at the Cincinnati Public Library’s main branch, “Squint: The Music Photography of Michael Wilson,” focuses on photos of music legends like David Byrne, Randy Newman and Lyle Lovett.
Inside “Squint,” guests will see album covers, record displays, CD cases, promotional material, camera equipment, behind-the-scenes work and more that all feature Wilson’s photography. Brian Powers, the library’s community content coordinator and the exhibit’s curator, is a longtime fan of Wilson’s work and approached him with an idea for a collaboration earlier this summer.
“Brian came over to my house in Price Hill and asked about my old projects. We got to looking through old work prints, contact sheets. It was basically just him and I looking through, I guess what you’d call a studio, but that seems like it’s glorifying my basement and my garden,” Wilson said, laughing. “It was his idea to show off the work behind the scenes, what you don’t see when you pick up a record at the store. And especially with the resurgence of vinyl, it feels like a great time for this.”
Wilson, who fell into photography “by accident” while attending Northern Kentucky University, has been active with his camera since the 1970s and became a full-time freelancer in 1987. As his career progressed, he became the go-to guy for musicians like B.B. King and Lyle Lovett — in fact, Wilson shot every single one of Lovett’s album covers after they met in 1991 — when they had new music on the way.
“I was all over the board, man,” Wilson said. “I went from like classical musicians like Philip Glass to opera singers like Dawn Upshaw, country singers like Emmylou Harris, bluegrass musicians like Ralph Stanley … Waylon Jennings … Randy Newman … David Byrne. Those are just a few that come to mind. Over the years, I’ve probably worked on maybe 400 or 500 album projects.”
While the exhibit is “certainly not a retrospective” of his expansive career, there’s plenty on display inside “Squint” that’s “for the music heads,” he said. Powers and Wilson didn’t intend to run the exhibit at the same time as the FotoFocus Biennial when it opened in the middle of last month, but he was happy to be inadvertently included in the city’s celebration of all things photography.
“It feels very fitting, you know? I’m not sure why Brian decided now was the right time for this, but I’m glad it happened right now. And it’s also in proximity to another third floor display at the library that features Cincinnati record labels and our most famous musicians. Just to be in that company and be part of the history of Cincinnati’s music feels really special, and I’m grateful,” he said.
On Nov. 9 at 6:30 p.m., Wilson and Powers will sit down at the Library for a special talk where they’ll discuss Wilson’s career in photography and his most memorable moments.
“I’d love for people to have questions and have a back-and-forth dialogue with me on that night,” he said. “But really, it’s gratifying to know that I’m helping people feel connected with musicians that have lived and worked in Cincinnati, or at least have work associated with the city. It’s a very intriguing and interesting story, and I hope people get up and go see it.”
For more information on the public discussion of “Squint: The Music Photography of Michael Wilson,” visit the Cincinnati Public Library’s official event page.
