Bob Marley & The Three Spliffs

Posted on May 15, 2008
Filed Under bob marley, bob marley poster, posters |

That’s one helluva spliff dude! Bob had a sense of humor, I’ll give him that. Not that it should come as a surprise to anyone, given the talent that resonated from his soul. Too be such an artist and have no sense of humor, would be like having no soul. And, we all know Bob had as much and more soul then anyone. This is a terrific poster for a lot of reasons. We see so many concert photos of Bob Marley, it’s easy to forget the man behind the music. The shot, really brings that out in him.

While it’s no secret, that the magic herb was a big part of Bob Marleys religious beliefs, it’s another thing to be so openly brazen about it. More then 25 years after his passing, the status of this stuff is controversial in so many places. Bob obviously didn’t care back the, and if he were alive today, he still wouldn’t. That’s in may ways, what makes the poster so revealing. It says so much about Bob Marley.

What I really like about this artwork though is the facial expressions. Each one seems like he’s talking to me, or at the very least getting ready to say something. The first one is kind of like he’s mulling over something I said and those brilliant synapses are firing away in an attempt to come up with an appropriate response I can understand. The second and middle image shows the prophet speaking from the soul. It’s the most expressive of the three I think. What really amazes me about the shot, is how his eyes are almost totally closed for all of them, but the emotion still bleeds through. Usually it’s the eyes that say so much about a person, but in this case, the barely open slits say so much as well. The final image on the left is the funniest of the three. It’s like he’s saying “brother, what the hell are you talkin’ about”. Terrific shot. Terrific poster.

I wonder, what other shots were taken during this photo shoot. It’s not a candid poster, that’s for sure. It appears to be shoot by a professional, in a more formal setting. The end result, is anything but formal. Its outrageous, serious, melodically thoughtful, and like everything Bob Marley did . . . pure genius.

Capturing a brilliant Bob Marley poster, is no task for the uninitiated. Smoke swirls have long been a favorite for cinematographers everywhere. The old black and white classics are filled with a photographers fascination of swirling, diving, looping and hazy smoke images. This photo captures smoke, in all it’s beauty.

Ever play that game, where you try to find images in the clouds? That middle image smoke swirl is great for that. At the very top of the swirl, I can see a little troll like demon, with his mouth wide open, his tongue hanging out, arms hanging loose, and one skinny left leg showing. What do you see?