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TO JAN. 13
We can only guess what Jim Morrison was thinking when he spread his arms for photographer Joel Brodsky in 1968: Was he waxing Christlike or just playing sexy? Regardless, Brodsky’s Jim Morrison, New York City (pictured) created the Lizard King’s most remembered image. Thirty-some years later, the photo carries as much pop-culture weight as any fabled Campbell’s Soup can or Brillo box. The photographer’s portraits of the Doors may be his most iconic work, but Morrison and the band aren’t the only stars in Brodsky’s sky. Between 1967 and 1976, seemingly everyone struck a pose for his lens: Aretha Franklin, Joan Baez, Iggy Pophell, even Barry Manilow. Although the parameters of rocktography are rather limited, Brodsky managed to muster up some range. The blue-hued melancholy of Otis Spann in Cryin’ Time and the silly-seductive allure of Isaac Hayes in The Movement certainly sit on opposite sides of Brodsky’s spectrum. But some of his best work can be found lying flat on a table in Govinda Gallery’s corner: From the dreamy double exposure of Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks to the manic montage of MC5’s Kick Out the Jams, Brodsky’s album-cover photos are some of his strongest. On view from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday, to Saturday, Jan. 13, at the Govinda Gallery, 1227 34th St. NW. Free. (202) 333-1180. (Chris Richards)