The Improbable Worlds of Glen Wexler
Malibu Arts Journal|December 2017

Alone cello player sits on top a solitary pinnacle towering above a demon’s hole. Above her head, ravens circle. They’re watching her choreograph her last rites with each draw of her bow. A giant guitar is hoisted out of a pit in a desert mine landscape. Miners oversee the guitar’s unearthing. A beautiful woman’s severed head rests on the wastelands. Her closed eyes and decorated face tell the story of her last breath. All these improbable realities are narratives created by celebrated photographer Glen Wexler. Known for his concepts and creative skill with the lens, Wexler has had a long and storied career that spans decades.

Kriss Perras
The Improbable Worlds of Glen Wexler

His narratives are both captivating and alluring. The incredible situations within his storytelling are a single frame destine to reside in the dark parts of your mind. Wexler is at heart a storyteller. He can spin a yarn in a still frame that’s such a fish tale you’ll either laugh, or scratch your head wondering is that real?

Malibu Arts Journal conducted a Q&A with Wexler to find out how he creates his outrageous worlds seen on hundreds of album covers. Some of his answers were surprising.

Q&A:

MAJ: How do you accomplish shots like the huge guitar rising out of the giant sand pit in Dig for Heaven and Earth’s album cover, or the female cello player seemingly sitting on an isolated pinnacle in Sold Our Soul from The Greatest Album Covers That Never Were from the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame exhibition, or the woman’s head sitting on top of the wastelands titled Beautiful Monster for Dilana?

WEXLER: With my narrative work, it’s a process that begins with pre-visualizing the idea. I’ll have a concept rendering created if I need to show a client, or engage set or model builders. The next step is deconstructing a complex or improbable vision into manageable elements to be individually photographed or modeled in CGI. I also use background images of skies and landscapes from my archives. The elements are finally seamed together in the post-production. Everything is planned in advance. I want to spend as little time as possible with the computer. I strongly adhere to the premise that the essence of the final image is created in camera.

This story is from the December 2017 edition of Malibu Arts Journal.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the December 2017 edition of Malibu Arts Journal.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM MALIBU ARTS JOURNALView All
Black And White Bohemia Pamela Springsteen
Malibu Arts Journal

Black And White Bohemia Pamela Springsteen

Her photos are intimate, not just of a famous brother but also of trees in the middle of Mississippi.

time-read
4 mins  |
December 2017
The Musical Poetry of Jardín Gabriel Garzón-Montano
Malibu Arts Journal

The Musical Poetry of Jardín Gabriel Garzón-Montano

He’s a critically acclaimed multi-instrumentalist and songwriter who has toured internationally. His multicultural roots are evident in his lyrics and song tiles, like Sour Mango and Fruitflies. Signing on with Stones Throw Records, his debut album, Jardín, reflects fresh poeticism, complex musical layers and a unique international style.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 2017
The Improbable Worlds of Glen Wexler
Malibu Arts Journal

The Improbable Worlds of Glen Wexler

Alone cello player sits on top a solitary pinnacle towering above a demon’s hole. Above her head, ravens circle. They’re watching her choreograph her last rites with each draw of her bow. A giant guitar is hoisted out of a pit in a desert mine landscape. Miners oversee the guitar’s unearthing. A beautiful woman’s severed head rests on the wastelands. Her closed eyes and decorated face tell the story of her last breath. All these improbable realities are narratives created by celebrated photographer Glen Wexler. Known for his concepts and creative skill with the lens, Wexler has had a long and storied career that spans decades.

time-read
9 mins  |
December 2017
Rock And Roll Still Frames Jérôme Brunet
Malibu Arts Journal

Rock And Roll Still Frames Jérôme Brunet

Jérôme Brunet’s photographs are narrative. They tell a story of a rock legend on stage in the moment that artist has captured the audience’s heart and imagination.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 2017
Lili Haydn And Opium Moon: Kama Sutra Music
Malibu Arts Journal

Lili Haydn And Opium Moon: Kama Sutra Music

Opium Moon plays Kama Sutra music. Her violin weeps the notes of a love ballad. The bow is at times ecstatic and at others barely touching the strings. As she performs, we’re transported to another universe. There are overtones of Itzhak Perlman in her fingers, and Isaac Stern in her bow. Best of all, in her facial expressions you will find the plateaued emotions of her musical performance. Her whole body is into it, like a violent ballet. This is Lili Haydn with Opium Moon.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 2017
Showcase : Maureen Haldeman's Sea Mirror Photography
Malibu Arts Journal

Showcase : Maureen Haldeman's Sea Mirror Photography

Maureen Haldeman captures the sea world like it was a mirror. Her images are impressionistic. She keeps an open shutter that creates a lasting impression of a fragmentary moment in time. Her images open the eye to the natural beauty of Malibu and the Southern California coastline. She has a keen eye for capturing a moment in camera.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 2017
Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes
Malibu Arts Journal

Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes

Timeless blues, rock and jazz by way of New Jersey.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 2017
Marcus Jansen - Between Fact And Fiction
Malibu Arts Journal

Marcus Jansen - Between Fact And Fiction

Approaching one of Marcus Jansen’s canvasses is like getting your bearings after having your brain rattled by a near explosion.

time-read
4 mins  |
March 2018
Review: Marcus Jansen Examine & Report
Malibu Arts Journal

Review: Marcus Jansen Examine & Report

There’s a shot late in Emmy Award Winning director John Schoular’s incisive documentary Examine and Report that sums up what’s so fascinating about artist Marcus Jansen and his work.

time-read
3 mins  |
March 2018
Arch Motorcyle: Art In Motion
Malibu Arts Journal

Arch Motorcyle: Art In Motion

The process of creating a motorcycle is art, at least it is at Arch Motorcycle.

time-read
5 mins  |
March 2018