Description
HIP HOP – Living a Dream delves into the lifestyle that, in combination with music, graffiti, breakdancing, and fashion, evolved into a worldwide phenomenon – from the streets of 1980s New York to Los Angeles, the Southern United States, Europe, and beyond, persisting into the present day. This exhibition spotlights the work of renowned photographers Jamel Shabazz, Joseph Rodriguez, and Gregory Bojorquez. From the early 1980s on, each of these three American chroniclers provides distinct insights into the rise and global impact of American Hip Hop culture.
Jamel Shabazz’s work from the 1980s serves as both a personal visual diary and a historical document, capturing the birth of the Hip Hop movement in the vibrant metropolis of New York City. In his series East Side Stories – Gang Life in East L.A., Brooklyn-born photographer Joseph Rodriguez provides a documentary-style look at gang culture during the 1990s. His work portrays the lived experiences, nuances, and harsh realities of gang life. Los Angeles native Gregory Bojorquez has been documenting the Hip Hop scene since the 1990s.  His works feature Snoop Dogg & Tha Dogg Pound (DPG), 50 Cent, Eminem, DMX, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, Missy Elliott, Mos Def, Swizz Beatz, and Ice Cube among others.
Gregory Bojorquez was born in Los Angeles in 1972. He started photographing in his teens, and set about documenting the subjects and stories that interested him personally. The intimate images he captured in East L.A. were not the product of structured photo sessions or assignments; They were shot from the perspective of a young man hanging out with friends and neighbors.
Gregory began his professional career photographing for the L.A. Weekly and was quickly signed on as a staff photographer. Assignments for magazines and commercial work for major record labels naturally followed. His portraits of personalities such as Snoop Dogg and Mike Tyson appeared in publications such as Rolling Stone and For His Magazine. Since that time, Gregory’s photographs have been exhibited internationally in gallery shows, museum exhibitions, and art fairs.
