Frank Zappa
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Object Details
- Date
- c. 1966
- Artist
- George Rodríguez, born 11 Aug 1937
- Sitter
- Frank Vincent Zappa, 21 Dec 1940 - 4 Dec 1993
- Roy Estrada, born 1943
- Henry Vestine, 25 Dec 1944 - 20 Oct 1997
- Ray Collins, 19 Nov 1936 - 24 Dec 2012
- Jimmy Carl Black, 1 Feb 1938 - 1 Nov 2008
- Exhibition Label
- A figure of the American counterculture, composer and guitarist Frank Zappa (1940–1993) believed that “Anything, Any Time, Anywhere for No Reason at All”—music, texts, interviews, films, statements, etc.––should be considered part of his aesthetic. This maximalist credo revealed as much about the eclectic sources that nourished his compositions as about his prolific and varied output. Born in Maryland and raised partly in California, Zappa became interested during his teenage years in the avant-garde classical music of Edgard Varèse, as well as in doo-wop, blues, and R&B. After graduating from high school he formed the band that would become the Mothers of Invention. In 1966 they released the seminal Freak Out! in which Zappa’s acerbic humor, socially critical lyrics, and complex orchestral arrangements were already evident. The band performed together with different lineups until 1975. With them and on his own, Zappa recorded close to eighty albums of compositions ranging from jazz and electronica to concrete music and rock and roll.
- Conocida figura de la contracultura estadounidense, el compositor y guitarrista Frank Zappa (1940–1993) creía que “cualquier cosa, en cualquier momento, en cualquier lugar, sin razón particular”, ya fuera música, textos, entrevistas, películas, declaraciones, etc., debía considerarse parte de su estética. Este credo maximalista refleja no solo las fuentes eclécticas que nutrieron sus composiciones sino también su prolífica y variada producción. Zappa nació en Maryland y en su adolescencia se mudó con su familia a California, donde se interesó en la música clásica vanguardista de Edgard Varèse y también en el doo-wop, el blues y el R&B. Al graduarse de escuela superior formó la banda que se convertiría en Mothers of Invention. En 1966 el grupo lanzó su seminal disco Freak Out!, donde ya se evidenciaba el incisivo humor de Zappa, sus letras de crítica social y sus complejos arreglos orquestales. La banda continuó actuando con distintos integrantes hasta 1975. Con ellos o por separado, Zappa grabó casi ochenta discos de composiciones en distintos géneros, desde jazz y música electrónica hasta música concreta y rock and roll.
- Place
- United States\California\Los Angeles\West Hollywood
- Topic
- Home Furnishings\Furniture\Seating\Chair
- Costume\Headgear\Hat
- Exterior
- Home Furnishings\Furniture\Table
- Frank Vincent Zappa: Male
- Frank Vincent Zappa: Arts and Culture\Performing Arts\Music\Musician
- Frank Vincent Zappa: Arts and Culture\Performing Arts\Music\Musician\Composer
- Frank Vincent Zappa: Arts and Culture\Performing Arts\Music\Musician\Singer\Rock singer
- Frank Vincent Zappa: Arts and Culture\Performing Arts\Music\Musician\Rock musician
- Frank Vincent Zappa: Performing arts awards\Grammy
- Roy Estrada: Male
- Roy Estrada: Arts and Culture\Performing Arts\Music\Musician
- Roy Estrada: Arts and Culture\Performing Arts\Music\Musician\Singer
- Henry Vestine: Male
- Henry Vestine: Arts and Culture\Performing Arts\Music\Musician\Guitarist
- Ray Collins: Male
- Ray Collins: Arts and Culture\Performing Arts\Music\Musician\Singer
- Jimmy Carl Black: Male
- Jimmy Carl Black: Arts and Culture\Performing Arts\Music\Musician\Percussionist\Drummer
- Portrait
- See more items in
- National Portrait Gallery Collection
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Credit Line
- National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
- Data Source
- National Portrait Gallery
- Object number
- NPG.2015.54
- Type
- Photograph
- Restrictions & Rights
- Usage conditions apply
- Copyright
- ©1992 George Rodríguez
- Medium
- Chromogenic print
- Dimensions
- Image: 33.4 × 28 cm (13 1/8 × 11")
- Sheet: 35.4 × 28 cm (13 15/16 × 11")
- Metadata Usage
- Usage conditions apply
- Record ID
- npg_NPG.2015.54