Magnum Contact Sheet & Magnum Editions 8×10″ Pairing: Venice Beach Rock Festival, 1968 Dennis Stock

Description

“Many of us take to the road in motorhomes, trailers, on motorcycles or by hitchhiking. This itch to see ‘what is over the hill’ is something that I can easily relate to as a photographer,” said Dennis Stock. His own restlessness drew him to the highways in the 1960s, when he drove through California, taking in the unique, heady spirit of the place, and photographing the curious characters he met along the way, from cult leaders, to hippies, off-duty actors, nudists and countless other free spirits that are drawn to the state. The work would become his seminal book, California Trip.

In this image from the project, taken at Venice Beach Rock Festival, Stock captures California’s non-conformists as they attempt to reshape society according to the ideals of love and peace.
“Technological and spiritual quests vibrate throughout the state, intermingling, often creating the ethereal. It is from this freewheelin potpourri of search that the momentary ensembles in space spring, presenting to the photographer his surrealistic image,” he said of the trip.

Magnum Editions 8×10″ and Contact Sheet pairings allow you to follow the photographer’s process, frame by frame, giving insight into the decisions taken to create the final iconic image, sold alongside the contact sheet as an 8×10″ print. This pairing features photos of Venice Beach Rock Festival, 1968.