Murray Bowles Documented the The Bay Area Punk Scene of the 90s, From The Inside - Hi-Fructose Magazine

"For more than forty years, he was in regular attendance at punk shows billing up-and-coming bands in ramshackle and makeshift venues throughout Northern California (particularly in the East Bay). Honing his technical skill he developed and mastered a photographic style known as the "Hail Mary," later dubbed the "Hail Murray": an outstretched arm above the head, body still jostling in the fray, capturing in one moment the very essence and energy of the show in all its hectic glory."

"Brown, who co-collaborated with Bowles on this book before his death in 2019, spent five years without compensation combing through thousands upon thousands of Murray's negatives. She and Murray had envisioned a book for years, something that would chronicle and forever encapsulate the scene they both dearly loved. When Murray died, Brown said she wanted to see the idea come to fruition, as a tribute to the man who gave so much to so many in the punk community."

""It's hard to explain what Murray was to us. He wasn't an outsider, a voyeur, or a fun uncle; he was just one of us," says Brown. "[He was] a friend in a truly all-ages scene. That's why he had such incredible access to everything-his presence was ubiquitous. Everyone trusted him." This was a trust gained from musicians and audience members alike."

Murray Bowles photographed East Bay punk shows for more than forty years, capturing up-and-coming bands in ramshackle venues. He developed the "Hail Mary" technique: an outstretched arm above the head, body still in motion, freezing the chaotic energy of a performance. His enduring affection for the scene transformed technical skill into transcendent concert photography. Anna Brown spent five unpaid years combing thousands of his negatives after his 2019 death to realize their long-envisioned compilation. Bowles's ubiquitous presence and deep trust from musicians and audiences granted unparalleled access, resulting in playful, masterful images chronicling generations of punks.

Read at Hi-Fructose Magazine - The New Contemporary Art Magazine