Will it surprise anyone to learn that Kurt Cobain was, in the words of photographer Kirk Weddle, “not a water guy at all”? Weddle, who had previously shot Nevermind‘s iconic naked-swimming-baby cover, gathered the members of Nirvana together in Los Angeles a month after the album’s release for another underwater photo series. This time, it was Kurt, Krist Novoselic, and Dave Grohl themselves who ended up in the pool. Despite the cold temperatures and early-morning call time (10 AM!), the pictures turned out great — and, like the Nevermind cover, the session has since become a classic.
Now, Austin’s Modern Rocks Gallery is displaying a generous selection of outtakes from the shoot. While some have previously been published online or appeared in the recent Cobain documentary Montage of Heck, others will be entirely new to fans. Click through our gallery to see some highlights from the show, and visit Modern Rocks’ website if you’re interested in buying a print.
Photo credit: Kirk Weddle. Courtesy Modern Rocks Gallery
Photo credit: Kirk Weddle. Courtesy Modern Rocks Gallery
Photo credit: Kirk Weddle. Courtesy Modern Rocks Gallery
Photo credit: Kirk Weddle. Courtesy Modern Rocks Gallery
Photo credit: Kirk Weddle. Courtesy Modern Rocks Gallery
Photo credit: Kirk Weddle. Courtesy Modern Rocks Gallery
Photo credit: Kirk Weddle. Courtesy Modern Rocks Gallery
Photo credit: Kirk Weddle. Courtesy Modern Rocks Gallery
Photo credit: Kirk Weddle. Courtesy Modern Rocks Gallery
Photo credit: Kirk Weddle. Courtesy Modern Rocks Gallery