The striking about Gorm Valentin’s work is the dynamic compositions – full of energy and movement. Following the rhythm of the music, Valentin captures the performance’s atmosphere and the essence of his subject, and with a keen eye for framing, he uses light to create leading lines towards his subject. As a former land surveyor, he is a master of composition and patterns, and after many years of playing the clarinet in jazz orchestras, he shows great sensibility to various musical genres. Since he embarked on his photography journey in 1975, Valentin has created both soulful and atmospheric portraits and dynamic and grainy rock portraits, all in B/W and with a high-contrast style. His photos are timeless markers of many of today’s most iconic musicians, including David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, Liza Minnelli, and Stevie Wonder.

GORM VALENTIN (b. 1944) is from Copenhagen, Denmark. He is an award-winning music photographer and has photographed both jazz, rock, and classical music. Moreover, he was engaged as a photographer in the theatrical scene and did portraits for newspapers, magazines, journals, and numerous record covers, including stamps. He has exhibited in Denmark and abroad and received a number of awards, notably the Fogtdal’s Photography Award in 2005 and DJBFA’s Award in 2016.