(Chronicle Books)

www.chroniclebooks.com

BY FRED MILLS

The moment I realized Lauren Dukoff was an artist of the highest caliber? That's easy - it was during the final editing and proofing stages of the November issue of Harp magazine (Blurt's predecessor). I'd just received the layout for our cover story, a profile of freak-folk guru Devendra Banhart, and I had to draft captions for the accompanying photos. Dukoff, as a close friend of Banhart and his de facto official photographer, had done the photo shoot, and as I stared at the images of Banhart and his fellow musicians - some casual and candid, others quite posed, like the title spread's portrait depicting the bearded, hairy-legged Banhart in heavy makeup, headdress, sequined bra and a long, flowing skirt - I found myself sucked into the inner lives of Dukoff's subjects, or at least what I imagined their inner lives to be, sequestered away in Laurel Canyon, making grand music at will, mindful of nothing but their own surroundings and the interpersonal bonds they'd forged in almost commune-like fashion.

It didn't hurt Dukoff's case that Banhart himself is a shutterbug's dream, his dark eyes and playful smirk conveying volumes in a single image, not to mention the fact that he seems to carry an awareness with him all the time that he is being viewed - by his band members, by the fans who come to his concerts, by women who gaze at him with heavy-lidded eyes when they encounter him on the street, and certainly by photographers who, if they are professionals, instantly pick up on his aura and make it their mission to capture it on film. Dukoff, having long ago gained Banhart's trust and camaraderie, certainly fulfilled that mission, and if it's true that in order to become an artist one must first have a muse who prods and inspires you to reach within and cultivate that artistry, then Dukoff is a very lucky young woman indeed to have found her muse so early in life. That in the process she's attained peer status with Banhart only affirms this, and more.

From Harp, November 2007:

Family: Photographs by Lauren Dukoff is Dukoff's first collection of portraits, and while her larger portfolio includes everyone from Beck, Kim Gordon and TV On the Radio to Mary J. Blige, Zooey Deschanel and, in the current issue of Blurt, porn star Sasha Grey, for the book she chose to present primarily the extended Banhart family, which includes the likes of Vashti Bunyan, Vetiver, Rio en Medio's Danielle Stech-Homsy, Joanna Newsom and Greg Rogove of Megapuss. Some are pictured in performance, others staring directly into the lens, and at times it's almost as if some of that Banhart camera-charisma has rubbed off on them: two of my absolute favorites are black and white images, one depicting Matteah Baim with a shaggy, David Crosby-worthy mustache affixed to her lip and an inscrutable glint in her eyes; the other, Banhart guitarist Noah Georgeson caught onstage in a Hendrix-like moment, concentrating intently on his fretwork while a spotlight behind him creates a halo effect.

Also pictured are friends of Banhart such as Neil Young (a hilarious action shot of him serenading two Native Americans at the 2006 Bridge School Benefit), folk legend Ramblin' Jack Elliott (strumming his guitar in Banhart's hotel room) and Natasha Kahn of Bat For Lashes (applying extravagant eye makeup at her Brooklyn home).

Ramblin' Jack Elliott and Natasha Khan:

Still - all roads lead to Banhart, and this hardbound, 192-page volume is crammed with delightful Banhart portraits. There he is with his band, apparently having been convinced by their leader that it's officially dress-up day and in this instance everyone will pick their favorite Cockette to portray (see photo at top of the pate).

And there he is onstage, playing guitar as a circular lighting scheme surrounds him like a mandala, or like jewels encircling a Fabergé egg:

There he is, lost in his thoughts down by the river, bracing himself against the incoming fall and winter chill:

And there he is, chugging mightily from his favorite brand of whiskey, and Lord knows what those massive spectacles are about, although the flamboyant Banhart always seemed to have a little Elton John in him:

And here he is, up to his old cross-dressing tricks that he pulled off so well for the Harp photo shoot:

Many more Banhart images grace the pages of Family, of course. I'm particularly taken by one of the singer and his father, Loring Baker, lazing on a porch in Topanga as Banhart, looking rather rural in a wide-brimmed straw hat, picks at his guitar while his father is captured in the middle of a hearty laugh. There's a spontaneous quality to that one that resonates deeply, touching both the father and the son sides of me, yet I'm certain that Dukoff wasn't reaching for something specific when she shot it; more likely she just realized it was an invaluable opportunity to document a different side to Banhart that no one but his family and close friends see. Hence the title - Family. As Banhart puts it in his foreword, "Everyone in this book is my family, and my source of inspiration and consolation."

For anyone who's a fan of rock photography, this book will make a wonderful addition to your music bookshelf. In the larger sense, however, for those who simply appreciate those elements of humanity that a camera can chronicle, it will also make for a satisfying hour or two's visitation. My bet is that you'll want to make a lot of repeat visits.

[All photos copyright Lauren Dukoff, courtesy Chronicle Books; Harp cover and interior page copyright Harp magazine]