Contact High
The Rise of Hip Hop in LA
Celebrating the photographers who have played a critical role in bringing hip-hop’s visual culture to the global stage, CONTACT HIGH: A Visual History of Hip-Hop is an inside look at the work of hip-hop photographers, as told through their unedited contact sheets.
Vikki Tobak curated the show, which is based on the bestselling book of the same name, with assistance from creative director Fab 5 Freddy. The exhibition includes nearly 140 works from 60 photographers, and is on view at Annenberg Space for Photography in Los Angeles through August 18.
Viewers will recognize Barron Claiborne’s iconic Notorious B.I.G. portraits, as well as early images of Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, and Kanye West before their names made regular appearances in media headlines. The work is iconic not only because it’s easily recognized–it’s iconic because even several decades later, it’s all still relevant.
Works by Janette Beckman featuring Salt-N-Pepa, and photographs by Jamel Shabazz and Gordon Parks offer a close look at the spirit of hip hop culture, and damn, it’s captivating.
The exhibit also includes an exclusive documentary – produced by the Annenberg Foundation and Radical Media – featuring a selection of CONTACT HIGH photographers Barron Claiborne, Brian “B+” Cross, Eric Coleman, Estevan Oriol, Jorge Peniche, Jamel Shabazz, Janette Beckman, Joe Conzo, Jack McKain, Dana Scruggs, and Danny Clinch.
Rare videos, memorabilia, and music are included to complement the photographs, demonstrating how the documentation of a cultural phenomenon impacts politics, culture, and social movements around the world. And in a first for the Photo Space, visitors can enjoy Contact High Records, a pop-up record shop featuring rare vinyl spanning the history of hip-hop.
