Melissa auf der Maur says her life in Hole defined her spiritually and publicly

Melissa auf der Maur argues that her 1990s photography captured the human reality of a countercultural movement before corporate greed dismantled it. The former Hole bassist reflects on her book, Melissa Auf der Maur: My ’90s Rock Photographs, and an accompanying exhibition running at the Art Gallery of Ontario until June 6, 2027.

Archival Roots at Père Lachaise and the Lollapalooza Tour

Auf der Maur traces her trajectory as a visual artist back to an awkward trip to Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris with her father when she was 13 years old. Standing in front of Jim Morrison’s grave, she snapped her first self-portrait, noting that her father had no respect or interest in Jim Morrison, and that photo is like every photo I’ve taken from that moment on – I’m trying to take agency over what is happening. She writes that photography gave her an immediate sense of agency over her own environment, creating a universe she could trust.

That early impulse eventually merged with her music career as she joined the alternative rock scene. Documenting the Lollapalooza ’95 tour for Spin magazine, she used a Nikon point-and-shoot camera with a wide-angle lens to capture the chaos and energy of the crowds and her bandmates. She notes that the wide lens allowed her to fit four people into a single frame alongside massive audiences.

Photographing Courtney Love Amid Band Pressures

Auf der Maur viewed her role inside Hole not as an outsider or a girlfriend, but as a dedicated bass player and right-hand woman who carried a camera constantly. She writes that Courtney Love trusted her implicitly, allowing her to capture candid moments of the singer doing her makeup before taking the stage.

Despite the internal friction of the band, which was co-headlining with Sonic Youth while dealing with the lingering grief of Kurt Cobain's death and struggles with addiction, auf der Maur recalls that the tour produced rare moments of happiness. She states that Courtney Love gave her all on that tour despite living through an absolute nightmare.

Hole Defined Melissa Auf Der Maur Spiritually and Musically

She acknowledges that she was later in the Smashing Pumpkins and worked as an art photographer, but states that my life in Hole defined me spiritually, emotionally, musically, and also publicly.

Melissa Auf der Maur: My ’90s Rock Photographs is published by DelMonico Books. The accompanying exhibition remains on display at the Art Gallery of Ontario through June 6, 2027.