Moments in the Spotlight: Music Photography by Anastasia Pantsios, at BAYarts

Spend more than a few minutes with the 50-plus selections on view in Moments in the Spotlight: Music Photography by Anastasia Pantsios, and it soon becomes clear that a thread is woven throughout the latest exhibit by the longtime Cleveland photographer.

While artists such as Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, and local favorite Michael Stanley can be found, another focus here is on women who’ve contributed to popular music over the past five decades: Pat Benatar, Deborah Harry, Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Gwen Stefani, among them.

“I enjoyed shooting artists whose music was important to me,” says Pantsios. “[Artists] who were personally expressive were more interesting to me than artists who had a lot of special effects and stuff going on onstage.”

Pantsios started shooting concerts as a fan in her hometown of Chicago, where she brought her dad’s camera to a Jefferson Airplane show at Grant Park in May 1969. It was the first time she shot a musical performance – “They were my favorite band,” she says – and it wasn’t long before she started bringing a camera to every concert she attended. “There were no restrictions on fans … taking photos. Things were a lot looser back in the ‘70s.”

Moments in the Spotlight, on view at BAYarts from April 19 through June 13, documents Pantsios’ personal and professional journey over the years. Name the most popular artists in rock and pop music history – Springsteen, Fleetwood Mac, Michael Jackson, Prince, Queen – and chances are, Pantsios shot them at some point.

While the legendary artists are a significant part of the exhibit, the photos of local women musicians who still perform around town are equally meaningful to Pantsios. “There are so many great ones today,” she says. “And unlike the big-name shows, which have gotten more and more restrictive to photographers, you have the freedom to capture them at their peak.”

Along that line, in addition to Pantsios’ shots, Moments in the Spotlight includes the work of three other local music photographers – Joe Kleon, Denyce Renee, and Judie Vegh – who contribute 10 pieces each of women performers.

Together, they tell the story of the artists in front of the camera and the person behind it. “I’m of course interested in who the subject is, which is what a lot of people respond to in a photo of a ‘famous person,’” Pantsios notes. “I’m equally interested in composition – how the artist interacts with space and light in particular – and what that reveals about their approach to their music, their energy, and the emotion they’re trying to convey.

“When shooting someone well known, you’re always torn between how much of the response is based on recognition and how much is based on what you captured in the photo or how strong the image is. I lean a bit more toward the pure imagery and hoping to evoke a response even if the viewer has no idea who the subject is.”

Moments in the Spotlight: Music Photography by Anastasia Pantsios is on view at BAYarts from April 19 through June 13, with an opening reception on April 19 from 6 to 9 p.m.