Interview #2: Chelsea Keenan
Her photographer father Larry documented the literary & rock stars of 1960s San Francisco. Now his daughter conceives a new exhibition of his work and talks about the show and her Dad's achievement
An exhibition of Larry Keenan’s classic images, Iconic Photography of the Beat Generation, has just opened at the Lansing Street Gallery in Mendocino, California, and runs until the end of 2021. I interviewed him for my book Text and Drugs and Rock’n’Roll. Sadly, he died before its publication in 2013, but his daughter Chelsea granted permission for one of his most memorable pictures, Bad Company, to be used on the cover. In a neat twist, I am informed that a copy of the volume will form part of the new exhibition. I spoke to Chelsea last week as she put the finishing touches to the show…
How many images will be on show in the exhibition? I am assuming they will be in your father's usual black and white medium
There are 28 different images on exhibit, some on the walls and some as matted prints, available in various sizes. There are 16 black and white prints hanging on the gallery wall.
Yes, the images in the show are black and white. His original negatives from the 1960s have been professionally drum scanned in the Bay Area and I’ve worked to recreate these images in high quality capturing his original vision.
Pictured: Larry’s daughter Chelsea Keenan
Will there be examples from the classic City Lights shoot with Dylan and Ginsberg in 1965?
Bob Dylan is featured artist of this show. People love the images my Dad has captured of him, during his Berkeley concert in 1965 as well as the famous images created at City Lights book store in San Francisco. The Last Gathering is another featured image and Michael McClure is featured as well. I was so sad to learn of his passing last year. Michael was an extremely talented individual.
Pictured: Larry Keenan’s Bad Company, taken close to City Lights, San Francisco. Robbie Robertson of the Band, Michael McClure, Bob Dylan & Allen Ginsberg
Do you have favourites among his output?
I love my Dad’s work. I was not around in the '60s but seeing his images make me feel a part of it and almost like I was there. He has some intimate images of famous artists in their homes that you don’t see very often. One of my favourites among his images in the show is Ginsberg Breakfast in His Apartment. I love the story behind this image.
My Dad went over to Ginsberg’s one Saturday and Allen offered him coffee. Having said ‘yes’ he presented my dad with a metal bowl with coffee in it. The bowl seemed strange (like a dog dish) and he nursed the coffee to cool it down. Soon Allen started asking ‘Are you finished with that, man?’ My Dad would say ‘No, not yet’ and after awhile he started to feel uncomfortable because the bowl seemed important to him.
When my Dad finally said ‘yes’, he grabbed the bowl away, threw the remaining coffee in the sink and sat down with the bowl for his breakfast cereal. My dad was using his only bowl!
When I was about seven, I went to a Beat event with my Dad (I went to many) and Ginsberg was in attendance. Everyone wanted to speak to Ginsberg and get his attention, I was standing off to the side holding a toy, Allen ignored everyone and made a beeline for me. He was kind and asked me about the toy I had and was fully invested in our short conversation. I think it had to do with me not wanting anything from him.
Pictured: Larry Keenan’s shot of Allen Ginsberg in a domestic setting
Just to pick up on a little bit of history: where was your father living when I visited him at home in 2004? What was the health condition that made his speech quite slurred by that time?
He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2001 or 2002. When you met him, my father was living in Emeryville, CA. He had multi-system atrophy Parkinson’s which means your entire system slowly shuts down, the ability to walk, talk, speak, write. It was a slow way to go.
Although your father died in 2012, you kindly agreed to release an image from that legendary City Lights session for my own book, for which I’m very thankful…
I love the photo you used for your cover: it’s a great one. We are going to have a copy of your book on display at the exhibit!
You have obviously gone on to become an established photographer yourself. How did Larry's work influence your professional and life decisions? He must have been an inspiration.
Both of my parents are professional photographers and have served as an inspiration for me. I grew up mostly in my Dad’s home studio. He would work in there constantly and even set up a little desk and chair for me so I could ‘work’ in there with him. I would be playing with stickers, but I loved being around him and he was always working on something interesting.
My Dad made sure I had access to cameras when I was young and would always get my film developed. Sometimes we would develop it together in his dark room. As I grew up I was naturally drawn to a certain style of photography. My Dad was very supportive and would tell me often to enter photography contests. When he passed away, I was young, and, since my Dad’s passing, I’ll show my Mom Lisa my more personal work. I’ve heard numerous times now that my Dad would photograph the exact same things: I had no idea.
Pictured: Larry Keenan photographed by his wife Lisa Keenan
What do you think is the legacy of Larry Keenan's photography? Does he remain a beacon name on the West Coast? Has he influenced younger cameramen and women, do you think?
My Dad has definitely left behind a legacy. His Beat photography, first hand accounts of the Beat poets and his special effect work have all had a lasting impact in our culture. I’ve heard from quite a few students that they learn about my dad in college. I’ve even had some students reach out to me for more information on him for papers they are writing. Knowing this, I would guess he has inspired other generations with his iconic work.
His work has become legendary and not exclusively to the West Coast: he has fans all over the world, namely in Europe, Canada, China and Japan. In regards to special effects my Dad was a photoshop pioneer and was working with multiple images in camera and pin registration before photoshop existed. He was one of the main people companies would go to, to create images that seemed impossible.
Note: My obituary, from 2012, of the subject of this exhibition is also posted within this newsletter. See ‘Remembering Larry Keenan’, re-published on November 10th, 2021.