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Hip Hop at 50 by
Janette Beckman
Presented by
Photoville

Boom boxes. Graffiti tags. Flashy threads and hypnotic new beats. The early ’80s in New York City was the golden age of hip-hop, and photographer Janette Beckman was there to capture its rising stars. The British-born artist moved to NYC in 1983 and photographed rap pioneers including Run DMC, Slick Rick, Salt-N-Pepa, Grandmaster Flash, and LL Cool J. To mark the 50th anniversary of hip-hop’s birth, an exhibition of Beckman’s iconic images will be on display at the Seaport. The show is part of the Photoville Festival, featuring more than 80 outdoor exhibitions of thought-provoking imagery from across the globe.

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EVENT INFO

On View:
June 7 – October 31, 2023

Location:
22 Fulton Street, windows on the corner of Fulton & Front Streets

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Meet The Artist S+31

Janette Beckman Photo

Janette Beckman

British-born photographer Janette Beckman began her career in the punk rock era working for music magazines The Face and Melody Maker. In 1982, she photographed the first hip-hop show to come to London and then moved to New York to document the underground hip-hop scene. Her work has been shown in galleries worldwide and is in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Museum of the City of New York and the British National Portrait Gallery. Janette continues to chronicle sub-cultures as well as photographing campaigns for brands like Dior and Levi’s.

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About Photoville S+3

 

Photoville is a New York-based non-profit organization that works to promote a wider understanding and increased access to the art of photography for all. Founded in 2011 in Brooklyn, NY, Photoville was built on the principles of addressing cultural equity and inclusion, ensuring that the artists they exhibit are diverse in gender, class, and race. Photoville produces an annual, city-wide open air photography festival in New York City, a wide range of free educational community initiatives, and a nationwide program of public art exhibitions.

 

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