Busacca Gallery

This is a large original fine art photograph from the 1980s by artist and photographer Moshe Brakha. The image features a black-and-white photo of Moshe's son, taken in the late 1970s or early 1980s. At the time, Moshe Brakha was one of the most innovative photographers in the New Wave, Punk, and Rock 'n' Roll scenes in Los Angeles and New York. Alongside some of the most rebellious photographers of all time, such as Helmut Newton, Robert Mapplethorpe, Herb Ritts, Francesco Scavullo, Richard Avedon, Bruce Weber, Paul Jasmin, and George Holz, he was at the cutting edge, pushing the medium to new levels in Los Angeles during the 1980s. Many of these photographers were excited about returning to black-and-white photography in that era, experimenting with how they could bring an old style into a new, modern, retro New Wave, Punk fashion aesthetic. Moshe Brakha is renowned for his signature flair—a compelling and sophisticated aura that captivates. He is particularly known for his collection of iconic celebrity rock graphic portraiture from the 1970s and 1980s. Moshe Brakha often says he was “born in Israel and reborn in Hollywood,” and his early music and celebrity portraiture, along with his later advertising and editorial work, certainly carry the vibe of Tinseltown. The elder Brakha built a thriving photography practice that extends beyond portrait work. Today, Moshe and his son work together and share a deep bond not only in their creativity but also in their mutual respect and love for each other.

Moshe Brakha, 1985. “I’m a very passionate guy. I’ve always been passionate about photography. I started in 1970 and I’m still doing it,” Moshe Brakha reveals. “Day in and day out: you have to be committed and crazy in love with it. . That love and passion appears on every page of L.A. Babe: The Real Women of Los Angeles 1975-1988 (Rizzoli New York), his phenomenal first book that showcases the sexy, stylish beauty of the era. Brakha’s crisp black and whites and luxurious color photographs transport you back to an era that was equal parts sensual and glamorous—and all the way loose. . Born in Israel, Brakha enlisted as a sailor in the Navy and arrived on the shores of Los Angeles in 1969 at the height of the countercultural movement. From Easy Rider to Midnight Cowboy, the spirit of radical freedom filled the Southern California air. Sex, drugs, and rock & roll were everywhere. At night, Brakha took his camera and hit the nightclubs and bars just as the punk scene took hold, finding himself in the company of beautiful women who became the perfect subject for his photographs.