HOUSTON, TX.-This winter, the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston will present Perspectives 149: It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll, featuring more than 100 candid photographs of the iconic figures of the culture, myth, and reality of rock ‘n’ roll. The exhibition runs the gamut from pioneers like Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, and Chuck Berry, to sixties idols Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, and Aretha Franklin, to proto-punks The Velvet Underground, The Stooges, and The Sex Pistols, to modern revolutionaries Nirvana and Cat Power.

These striking portraits and candid shots have been captured by well-known documentary photographers including John Marshall, Barry Feinstein, Kate Simon, Lee Friedlander, David Bailey, and Richard Avedon. They capture some of the most vibrant—and introspective—moments of the powerful music phenomenon of “rock ‘n’ roll,” including the sixties folk scene, San Francisco’s flower power era, and the rise of punk rock. The cultural impact of these artists has extended for more than 50 years and continues to influence today’s music and society through their originality, strength, and popularity.

Perspectives 149: It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll will be on view from December 2, 2005 to January 22, 2006. It is the latest in the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston’s Perspectives series, a fast-paced set of exhibitions focusing on developments in contemporary art. The exhibition is organized by Contemporary Arts Museum Houston Senior Curator Lynn M. Herbert, and will be accompanied by a catalogue featuring reproductions of exhibited work, and a brief chronology of significant moments in rock ‘n’ roll history.