David Kordansky Gallery Los Angeles presents An American Beauty: Grateful Dead 1965–1995, a photography exhibition and photography book. Released to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Grateful Dead, the book is edited and curated by photographer Jay Blakesberg and his daughter, Ricki Blakesberg. An American Beauty: Grateful Dead 1965–1995 features 275 photographs, including over 150 that have never been published in book form. The collection includes iconic images by 32 photographers, including Herb Greene, Ron Rakow, Adrian Boot, Alvan Meyerowitz, Rosie McGee, Jonathan David Sabin, Beth Sunflower, Bob Minkin, Ed Perlstein, Bruce Polonsky, Andy Leonard, and Jay Blakesberg, among others. Together, these photographers documented the band from its early days at the peak of the Haight-Ashbury hippie renaissance through its rise as a stadium-filling, Top 10 phenomenon and enduring cultural force.
Jay Blakesberg states, “An American Beauty: Grateful Dead 1965–1995 is not just a celebration of the band—it’s a visual journey through three decades of cultural evolution, community, and creativity. To bring this work into the fine art context of David Kordansky Gallery is deeply meaningful. It affirms what so many of us have always known: that the Grateful Dead’s impact reaches far beyond music. These photographs tell the story of a movement, a family, and a spirit that continues to inspire new generations.”
On view in Los Angeles at 5130 W. Edgewood Pl. through August 16, 2025, the exhibition features 28 large-scale and 32 smaller photographic prints documenting all eras of the Grateful Dead experience. Both projects come from gallerist David Kordansky’s lifelong love of the Dead’s music and a shared vision with Jay Blakesberg that began in 2023 when they met during a previous iteration of the exhibition at the Haight Street Art Center in San Francisco. Their conversation continued into 2024 at the Sphere shows in Las Vegas, culminating in a celebration of the sixty years of the Grateful Dead with a new exhibition and book presented by David Kordansky Gallery.
Kordansky says, “I’ve been looking at some of these photographs of the Grateful Dead and Deadheads since I was 12 years old. To say that they are formative parts of my visual life—and important factors in my decision to devote my life to art and creativity—would be an understatement. They’re also crucial documents for understanding how American culture—including music, visual art, and technology—has evolved since the 1960s. It’s a dream to be able to collaborate with Jay and Ricki Blakesberg on this project. Jay is one of the true masters of rock photography as well as one of its most ardent and knowledgeable scholars.”
An American Beauty: Grateful Dead 1965–1995
Celebrating 60 Years of the Grateful Dead
from July 15 – August 16, 2025
David Kordansky Gallery Los Angeles
5130 W Edgewood Pl.
Los Angeles, CA 90019
www.davidkordanskygallery.com
The coffee table book is available for pre-order at shop.davidkordanskygallery.com, and will be officially released on August 1 in honor of Jerry Garcia’s birthday.
