In Talks with Photographer Robert Lundberg; USII is TONIGHT!

Robert Lundberg is bringing his buzzworthy show, Uncontaminated Sound II to Arlene's Grocery TONIGHT Friday, August 9th. Pairing his eclectic and unique vision of candid photography of artists and musicians, he brings to life his subjects and their backstage antics.

Taking photos of the likes of Louie Anderson, Sinbad, Rufus Wainwright, The National, Geographer and more, his work brings a bold beauty into the world that will stop you dead in your tracks every time. The experience also brings to life 3-artists that Lundberg has recently photographed on his East Coast travels; The Natvral (Kip Berman from Pains of Being Pure at Heart), Glass Mannequins, and Philly's own Trash Boy. We sat down with Robert for an exclusive interview, below about his process, his vision and his voice.

With Uncontaminated Sound II upon us, what have you changed in the experience since last time?

What immediately comes to mind first off is the depth and breath of work being shown, along the physical venue which is the notable Arlene’s Grocery in the Lower East Side, paired with a new closing act. However, I’m continuing the concept of the interplay between live music performances by subjects I’ve shot and the imagery which is the foundational element to Uncontaminated Sound, although I’ll say the presentation of the printed images has certainly improved regarding paper type, frames and mat. This year I’ve decided to strictly show my imagery in black and white with two types of paper: Epson Fine Art Velvet, and Canon Pro Luster, these changes and decisions really highlight the deep shadows I tend to incorporate into making of an image, along with accentuating the rawness of a moment I intend to capture with the lens. Having the experience at Arlene’s this year, also has allowed more flexibility regarding curation within the physical environment, paired with the history of the venue which has seen the beginnings of the likes of The Strokes, Lana Del Ray, Lady Gaga, Arcade Fire, which adds an historic element that I hope contributes to the energy of the show.

When creating the concept of the show, what elements came into play? What do you want to accomplish even more so than last year's showing?

Hmm, when Uncontaminated first came to mind, it was an attempt to archive, label, group, I guess shall I say organize the breath of work I had accumulated over the span of my journey documenting a multitude of diverse bands and musicians. I asked myself how would one mold the abstract elements such as movement, expression, and energy, which I so happened to capture with the lens into something deeper than a photo series or a gallery show. Thus, I started hashing together an experience that would harbor not only imagery, but also hold the eclectic sounds that were outside the boundaries of the image itself, which I attempt to achieve by incorporating live performance. This year it my intention to put an emphasis on the photographic work itself, through adding the elements of frame, mat, fine art paper, and showcasing 27 black and white selected images it is my hope to highlight the purity and rawness I seek to capture within the world that is live entertainment.

Starting with musicians and now venturing into other realms of the celebrity world, how did you transition from one into the other?

Let’s see, the transition to the “celebrity or comedic” realm was kinda of a natural progression, well to say evolution, though in the end it really so happened upon me. Since the initial concept of the series, Uncontaminated Sound has always been built upon capturing a diverse range of performing artists in the midst purity. It so happened my initial breath of work mainly covered musical performers, however I’ve always had interest in widening the scope of the project which has always lingered in the depths of my subconscious. It was around fall 2018, when I noticed a marquee displaying I believe a performance for Lewis Black in Peekskill, NY and the proverbial light went off, ah ha, capturing legendary comedians and or actors rituals prior to or post performance would add a deeper level to my project. Thus, I reached out to his people in which Lewis and his team expressed interest in the project and my work, however, certain events occurred on the road in which I just so happened to miss that shoot opportunity. However, his publicist whom also represented Louie Anderson, passed along my work and project idea, and a date for December in upstate NY was set up, and successful! In-between that time I also reached out to Sinbad, in which I am grateful to have had the opportunity to add a stand up legend like himself for the series.

At what age did you know that you wanted to become a photographer and an artist?

Ahh, good question one that I’ve constantly asked and battled with over the years, in a kind of existential-ish manner. I guess to answer simply, I was born an artist, but it took me years to discover and comfortably identify as such. It wasn’t until I made the transition to New York City, which was late 2016 that I found the medium of the lens, age wise I’d say that would be around thirty-one. During the transition I made friends with a couple of people whom were really into camera work, we were always going out shooting scenes of the streets of NYC. Which for me was a magical new world, being from Boston, the sights, sounds, people, and geography opened up my eyes to an entirely new perspective, and the camera naturally lent itself as a new way to express myself and vision.

What are your favorite 3 artists or comedians you have shot backstage? In terms of the overall experience.

It’s interesting to attempt such an exercise, I truly enjoy all of my shoots, particularly when I have the opportunity to go backstage. However, December 2018 seemed to have a positive flow with regards to “favorite” artists and experiences. Firstly, shooting Louie Anderson at the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, Bethel, NY not only brought its challenges due travel, weather constraints, and delays, but it was my first attempt at capturing a true what we would call “celebrity.” The plan was to shoot Louie prior to taking the stage within the museum dedicated to the Woodstock Music festival, my excitement was at a peak, the weather gloomy and snowy, the hours ticked by no Louie, around show time still no Louie, scheduled showtime pushes back, I think this is not going to happen, then the doors open and Louie rushes in. I sit through his set, holding onto the hope this shoot will still happen, finally post show the word has been given, Louie is a bit haggard and tired from performing and traveling, but allows ten minutes, I began to snap away. Following that shoot, around the same time frame I had the opportunity to capture Sinbad at the Paramount Hudson Valley Theater in Peekskill, NY. This experience brought laughter, paired with time backstage in which the lens captured some memorable moments that I hope resonate with a viewer. Lastly, during the end of the month I received word that Rufus Wainwright was interested my work and the Uncontaminated series, thus I was gratefully given the good fortune to shoot a few beautiful holiday portraits backstage at The Town Hall, NYC prior to his annual Christmas performance. Wrapping a very memorable December.

Which artists do you have on the bill this time around and what is the process of choosing them to play the show?

This year we have Glass Mannequins (Boston based), and Trash Boy (Philly based) whom immediately jumped at the idea of playing a second iteration, paired with a new closing act The Natvral, which is Kip Berman’s ( the Pains of Being Pure at Heart) new project, whom is local to NYC. Regarding process of selection, I like the concept of three east coast cities coming together to create a uniquely sounding performance along side imagery that represents creative expression at its finest. Which ultimately is why I seek to discover a wide range of sounds particularly from different local, that I believe adds a special layer of creativity and diversity to the Uncontaminated Sound experience.

What does the phrase "Uncontaminated Sound" mean to you?

Uncontaminated Sound is a moment of purity, an untouched moment of rawness (reality), well an untouched uninterrupted scene captured with the lens, thus “Uncontaminated” comes into context, “Sound” refers to not only musical but also lyrical or vocal, giving nod to the art of live performance. More than just an image, Uncontaminated Sound is an energy and attitude, perceived with pure light, capturing what is there, an authentic look into an artist’s world. Within the confines of the show it is a collective assumption of organic creativity and positive vibes, designed for the uncorrupted spirit, a lasting creative movement in a world of commercialism. It is my sight, it is my voice.