On Wednesday, July 29, over 700 people attended the members’ opening at The Contemporary Jewish Museum (The CJM) for Amy Winehouse: A Family Portrait and the companion exhibition, You Know I’m No Good which are on view through November 1, 2015.
CJM Executive Director Lori Starr interviewed Assistant Curator Pierre-François Galpin followed by Chief Curator Renny Pritikin in conversation with two of the artists from You Know I’m No Good, Jason Jägel and Jennie Ottinger.
In house Jewish deli Wise Sons catered light bites with wine generously provided by Hagafen Cellars. Amy Winehouse’s music and her influences were played throughout the Koret Taube Grand Lobby.
Amy Winehouse: A Family Portrait explores the late British singer and songwriter Amy Winehouse (1983–2011). An exhibition at The CJM in cooperation with the Jewish Museum London, it was created in close collaboration with the Winehouse family who gave the museum unprecedented access to Winehouse’s belongings. The exhibition is an intimate portrait of the singer at different stages of her life, from her childhood and theater school years to the early steps of her career and her rise to stardom.
Additionally, an exhibition of contemporary art organized by The CJM—titled You Know I’m No Good after a track on Winehouse’s album Back to Black (2006)—created in response to the Amy Winehouse phenomenon is on view in an adjoining gallery. The exhibition includes work by Rachel Harrison, and new commissions by Jennie Ottinger, and Jason Jägel.
Amy Winehouse was an international phenomenon, with multiple hit singles such as Rehab (2006) and You Know I’m No Good (2006), and her Grammy Award-winning album Back to Black (2006). Behind her celebrity status and troubled life portrayed in the tabloids, Amy Winehouse: A Family Portrait is an occasion to discover the singer’s Jewish roots, London life, and passion for music through a display of her belongings and stories shared by her older brother, Alex Winehouse. Four years after her tragic death, the exhibition is an affectionate portrait and heartfelt homage to her life. “This is a snapshot of a girl who was to her deepest core simply a little Jewish kid from north London with a big talent,” says her brother.
Previously unseen vintage photographs and family belongings on display in A Family Portrait give a glimpse of the Winehouse family history. The exhibition features many mementos from her successful career such as flyers, festival badges, concert photographs, magazine covers, and one of her Grammy Awards. Winehouse’s distinctive style, with her iconic beehive hairdo and tattoos (including one of her grandmother Cynthia), made her a favorite with press photographers. A selection of Winehouse’s clothing, both designer and high street, are on display.
